?Grateful to Her?: Jackie Chan Paid an Emotional Tribute to Wife Joan Once for Standing by Him

They say behind every successful man is a supportive woman. Well, the words couldn’t be truer in the case of Jackie Chan. The martial arts legend and Hollywood superstar was once a mere struggling artist, looking to make a name for himself in the industry. Even before his struggling years, his life was not easy.

Chan had battled with poverty during his childhood. When he finally made a name for himself, he had a hunger in him to show the world just what he was worth. As a result, he had a busy schedule and could not give much time to his family. However, his wife Joan never resented him for it.

Jackie Chan appreciates all his wife did for him

In his autobiography titled Never Grow Up, Jackie Chan dedicated some emotional lines to his wife, Joan Lin. He described how she had supported him over the years and how thankful he was to have a partner like her. Chan wrote, “I was selfish and didn?t know how to empathize with others. I was also too easily influenced. Yet Joan set me free to make my own way. I respect her a lot and am grateful to her for sacrificing so much for me.”

Chan also added, “When I was young, people looked down on me. As a young adult, I lived in poverty. When I finally found success, I was driven to give the world one good lm after another, to show everyone what I was worth.” According to Chan, any other couple would have burnt out and separated. But he and Joan were steady throughout the years. “Over the years, I?ve seen many loving couples get divorced,” he said, “While Joan and I weathered every storm. We are often happier than the average couple.” He also added, “I wouldn?t say our marriage has been perfect, but we?ve stuck together and come to cherish each other more and more with every year, after thirty-five years.”

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Even though Jackie Chan and his wife had some rocky moments, she was ultimately a part of his family. That was a fact Chan always respected, and therefore, in turn, respected his wife through the thick and the thin. He wrote, “We?ll always be family. How could I have any regrets about our long, sometimes rocky history together now that we?ve ended up here?” But what circumstances led to the occasional discord between Jackie Chan and his wife?

Chan could not pay proper attention to his family

Jackie Chan has many times accepted the fact that he has not always treated his family in the best manner. In his autobiography, Chan writes,

“I?ve said in interviews that I?ve done well by many people, but not my own family. That I haven?t been a good father or a good husband, but I did my duty to my son and his mother.” Not only did Chan admit in his autobiography that he did not always pay the requisite attention to his family, but he also gave the reasons for it.?

“I used to spend most of my time flying around the world,” he said, “Even when I was in Hong Kong, my schedule would be so full, I didn?t see much of my family. If you asked me now if I regret this, I?d say yes.” Jackie Chan then mused that it might have been better to be apart from his family. “But maybe it was better this way. If you haven?t lived through this yourself, you wouldn?t know how being apart kept us together. If I?d been at home with her every day, we might have separated long ago.”

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While not everyone might agree with Chan’s philosophy, it is still endearing to see the respect and love he has for his wife after all the sacrifices she made for him. Do you feel their love story is an inspiration for all other lovers?