Chen Xiao and Michelle Chen’s Marriage Cools Off

After sparks flew on the set of 2014’s Romance of the Condor Heroes <神鵰俠侶>, Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen (陳妍希) and Chinese actor Chen Xiao (陳曉) started dating, getting married two years later and welcomed their son, nicknamed Xiao Xing Xing (Little Star) soon after. Fuelled by news of their marriage on the rocks, paparazzo Liu Dachui (攝影劉大錘) revealed that the two have been separated for a long time, and that Chen Xiao’s mom recently visited her son on set.

Chen Xiao Before vs. After Marriage

When Chen Xiao filmed A Dream of Splendor <夢華錄> with Crystal Liu (劉亦菲) last year, Michelle had specially brought her son and dwelled on set for as long as half a year to accompany him. Currently filming Sniper Butterfly <狙擊蝴蝶> with Dilraba Dilmurat’s (迪麗熱巴) junior Zhou Keyu (周柯宇),  she was spotted without her wedding ring, in another seeming confirmation of the rumors.

On Chinese romance-themed reality show Love Actually <半熟戀人>, Michelle had shared Chen Xiao’s drastic transformation pre- and post-marriage. While he had enthusiastically celebrated her birthday before marriage, she did not receive any birthday gift from him at all after they tied the knot, and would only pluck up courage to ask Chen Xiao to take her out for the movies or for a meal on her birthday every year. Michelle’s unbelievable revelation implied that the two only went out once a year,  stunning the other guest stars.

Just last year, Michelle had frequently brought up her interactions with Chen Xiao on a program, but Liu Dachui revealed that the actor had initiated divorce towards the end of 2023 but she had disagreed, which led to him starting a “cold war” with her. Not only did he not return home, Chen Xiao even changed his phone number and blocked his wife – such that the two had to communicate through an intermediary.

Now filming Legend of the Magnate <大生意人> in northeast China, Chen Xiao has shaved his head for his role. However, he was spotted dead drunk at a colleagues’ gathering and needed support by others while walking. Even for Chen Xiao’s birthday in June, Chen Yanxi failed to send her birthday wishes unlike in past years, and instead it was actress Karlina Zhang (張佳寧), Chen Xiao’s university mate who recently soared in popularity from the drama You Are My Secret <私藏浪漫>, who celebrated with him over a meal.

Netizens Comment on “Mommy’s Boys”

Liu Dachui also captured a video of Chen Xiao’s light-hearted interactions with his mom on the set of his new drama when she visited her. After they left a nanny van, she offered her a corn cob while Chen Xiao, wearing a white cap and jacket, continued walking briskly ahead. Most speculated that his mom had specially accompanied him on knowing he was in a terrible mood, while netizens shared their observations, “An interesting phenomenon is how mama’s boy types often find it hard to find happiness in marriage”, “Has time for his mom, ain’t got no time for his wife”.

Source: Upmedia