[Breakup Files] Isabella Leong Announces Split From Richard Li
On February 26th, 22-year-old Isabella Leong Lok Chi issued a public statement announcing her break up with billionaire Li Ka Shing’s son, Richard Li. Although Isabella and Richard never got married, the couple have three sons together. Isabella gave birth to their eldest son in 2009 and a pair of twin boys in 2010.
The following statement was issued by Isabella Leong to the press:
Dear friends in the media: The New Year begins and I wish you every success in the future. Entering 2011, I also reached a new phase in life. Mr. Richard Li and I broke up.
We once had a wonderful time together. We will work together to raise our children. Our common goal is for the children to grow up healthy and happy.
We decided to declare the end of our relationship to the outside world and end any unnecessary conjectures.
Source: Sohu.com
Jayne: An earlier tabloid published photos of Isabella Leong drinking at a bar and spending 2 to 3 hours looking depressed. The tabloid speculated that Isabella and Richard Li’s relationship was over.
I thought the tabloid was making unnecessary speculations. Although Isabella and Richard did not get married, I thought their relationship would last longer. They did have 3 sons together in the last two years. Since the couple decided to have children together, I thought they at least envisioned a longer future together.
Since Isabella announced her split from Richard, their relationship is truly over.
what a pity. I was caught off guard but it seems that Richard is the one who broke up with her since Isabella is depressed
What a pity and sad, she is so young and got cheated by an old fox, any how life is still have to go on. Money does not buy every things, Isabella!
“We will work together to raise our children”
…….
I wonder what’s the real story behind this.
1: He gave her an enormous figure for bearing 3 kids, she accepted the reward,both parties got what they wanted right from the beginning. End of business.
2. At first, they were really serious about a lasting relationship, but no matter how he trained her to become an “upper class person”, it didn’t work. To make things worse, she kept pushing for marriage esp after the birth of the 3rd child. Richard (and his father) got fed up, had no choice but to leave her. Now she’s completely devastated.
3. They are still together, but for some reason, Isabella is instructed to announce the break up. Pretty unlikely though ‘cos I can’t think of a reason why they would do that.
Probably daddy messed it up? So it is true; Richard will probably marry someone of some pedigree. I am disappointed but I won’t weep for her or the children since financially they’ve made it. I suppose father gets custody in this situation?
This whole class thing is ridiculous, didn’t the Li family came from a very humble background? Anyways, she’s naive to think he would marry her, he’s prolly a major playboy. She’s better off and I hope she’ll find true happiness one day.
I feel bad for their three boys…call me old fashioned, but I think that a couple should always try to work out their differences if children are involved. The details of their relationship is scarce, naturally we are not privy to it, so making conjectures about those details is difficult. I must admit though, Isabella seems to have been reduced to a “breeding machine”. I say so because there didn’t seem to be any relationship news prior to their first son, no pending matrimony, no nothing about the “loving couple” even after the birth of the twin boys. Perhaps this could be due to the standing of the Li family in the public? Even if their union was a “business” relationship, but Isabella as the mother, seems to have gotten the short end of the stick :T
I wouldn’t feel bad for them. They will have a privileged upbringing. If they don’t cut out Isabella the mother, it will be just fine. I suspect quietly Isabella will fade into the background. And don’t cry for her. She is well compensated in that regard.
I’m sorry but money is not everything. Makes me sad reading your comment.
Sad to read this news, money is not everything!
This shows that even bearing 3 sons for the family will not help her secure a place in the family. We pretty much knew that they wouldn’t have her marry into the family because of her upbringing and background, but at least would stay in the family to be with Richard Li and the mother of their 3 sons. Now it really seems like she was used as a breeding machine. But, it’s also not a surprise that they would separate because of their huge age difference in the first place.
It’s sad when children are involved. But what was she thinking ? He didn’t want to marry her, yet shes gave birth to 3 sons? I guess Michelle Lee Ka Ya is much more fortunate despite the “WILD” past.
I think it is still early to stay about Michelle Reis case… She is happy at the moment and only gave birth to one son so far… Who knows the future?? I don’t think we should be shocked IF Michele Reis suddenly gets a divorce out the blue…
But Michelle is smart to have married him first and will at least be entitled to alimony if they were to divorce.
I know that to have many children at once can deteriorate some marriages, specially at the beginning and if one is not able to cope with the responsabilities. In her case it must have been worse. Probably she was in love with him, with some image he represented for her. BTW such a waste of talent, you do not find natural actresses like her so easy nowadays. Hopefully she will come back, rescue her career and fullfill her life together with the children.
Maybe the reason why they’re not married in the first place is so that it’s easy to handle after they split up.
PRE-NUP signed before marriage and things should be easy to settle also. Even if they do get married and divorced he ain’t gonna miss that much money – but if he’s poor, better believe they will try to work it out before he even divorces her. Learn from Chris Rock.
They looked so happy together in the photo… I would have thought being a mother of three Isabella would mature and think things out before making rush decision. I guess there’s always two sides to a story. Maybe she does love him and thought having the twins will change Richard to be a more loving and caring husband and father but he’s probably spending all his waking hours work and not spending time with her… thinking that $$$ is the solution to everything… give her a house, maid, driver, bodyguard and she should be her happy. Even a short holiday as a family would probable make her feel wanted and secure.
She has just 22.
She money hungry. She got what she wanted (set for life with free money since she bore him 3 children). All she saw during the entire relationship was KA CHInG!
How can you say something so insensitive? Do you know her? Obviously, you are not a woman or a mother. Believe me giving birth is not as easy as you think. I don’t think she did that for money, a woman won’t have three (not one) babies with a man if she didn’t love him.
Well said. Money has more power than people think. Now that they broke up, she can have monthyl payments and live the high life. If she wants, she can resume work for more income, no big deal for that.
Pity her and the children in a way. But they are far more fortunate than others since they will hv millions $$$.. And with $$$, u dun hv to worry much- eat, drink, enjoy all they can for the rest of their lives!
Not just millions. I read somewhere that she’s getting HKD 31 BILLION as “compensation”. That seems even more than what each of Stanley Ho’s wives would get when he passes on.
Which is why I said don’t weep for her.
That’s right ! She’s so young, it’s not like her life is ruined. She has years to enjoy that money not worry about earning her own ! She retired in her 20’s !
that must be a typo. HKD31 billion would be almost USD4 billion. Richard Li’s net worth is estimated to be around USD2 billion. Regardless, they are more fortunate financially then 99.9% of other people in these similar situations. But can money ever compensate for the emotional and mental effects that she and the children will have to live with?
@visitor.
I agree. Money can’t compensate for the emotional damage. Plenty of people that are poor think money is everything but once they get it – they realize there’s still something missing.
She’s better off than other people in the same situation but I don’t think she’s better off than me 🙂
yea rite, 31 billion hkd? more like 31 millions hkd.
I dun think only the poor thinks that money is e>erythg! then why the rich wont want to stay where they are and still want to be richer?
31 million is a lot of money. Plus custody with her right? Expect money every month for the children. And I am sure grandpa etc will set up trust funds, etc. Basically set for life. Not a bad deal for a 2 year or so relationship. I may sound cold, but she is in a better position than a lot of people. She may have dived head on into this relationship recklessly, Richard may have wanted a good looking girl as mother of his children, etc but I believe the 1st pregnancy was unplanned. The 2nd was maybe unplanned. Sometimes passion fizzles out. Maybe family couldn’t accept her. We may all say even the Li family comes from nothing, but when you’re filthy rich, and mind you Li family is like royalty when it comes to richness and influence, the past is of no significance but the present is.
Oh Stanley Ho, what a mess eh? And he isn’t dead yet.
the deal is done, each part way. end of story.
This was predictable from the start…richard li does not want wife he just want heir to forture ..if he wanted wife he would have marry b4…he just needed a women who is young and pretty for Surrogacy which is pretty much illegal in hong kong…when she born him 3 sons…it is like new black diamond born to him …and with the 3 black diamond what does he need more …it is good things that she did not born him 3 daughters..seriously..
..And i like her as actor …so i think she should come back as actor. not for money but for passion ( if she still want todo acting )…wishing bast for her life
BEst*
IMO, I think there were some passionate feelings involved in the Isabella and Richard Li’s relationship. If he simply wanted heirs, why wouldn’t he have married another woman from a wealthy background or found an anonymous surrogate mother like his elder brother did. Last year, the unmarried Victor Li made headlines because he found a surrogate mother to have triplet sons for him.
Richard had a love affair with Isabella, likely against the protests of his family, which resulted in children. Allegedly, she split her time between living at his mansion in Hong Kong and another residence in San Francisco. After having twin boys last year, tabloids photographed them at the airport taking a vacation together. I think they were heading to Japan (?) She was beaming in the photos and did look like she was in love.
Personally, I think the pair did have some intense feelings for each other. After having her eldest son, Isabella must have known that Richard was not interested in marrying her. But she was willing to go through another pregnancy…why? I think she must have loved him in some way. Surely even having one son, Richard already made sure she was financially stress-free to never worry about money again.
Surely both Isabella and Richard wanted to have children together and it was a mutual decision. Surely rich men like Richard would not just impregnate any woman, as they know such risky behavior could cost millions down the road. I think they both were swept away by passion of the moment and perhaps did think that “love will conquer all” but in the end, they were truly people from two different worlds.
Isabella prematurely ended her contract with EEG in order to be with Richard. I think the contract dispute resulted in some legal court proceedings, since EEG was likely trying to seek as much money as possible. After this ordeal, don’t know if Isabella still has film opportunities ahead. EEG finances, produces, and distributes many major Chinese film projects. Albert Yeung is involved in some aspect of big film projects, such as “Let the Bullets Fly” and “If You are the One 2.”
Jayne, you mixed up the 2 Lee/Li families already. The one who has surrogate triplet is Lee Sau Kee’s son, not Li Ka Shing’s son.
Kidd, ok thanks for the correction. I read it fleetingly in the news.
Anyhow if Richard wanted heirs, he could have chosen a more inconspicuous mother than Isabella Leong.
Not all of China’s biggest movies are produced by EEG, although most of them are. There are many budding mainland producers now and I have a feeling that in no time someone will “invite” Isabella back to film movies now that she’s “free” 🙂
Things to ponder:
She got HKD300 million as compensation fee and the custody fee for her children.
She’s only 22, still very young so I believe that some filmmakers will invite her back into acting, and she can still make a comeback to the industry.
At the age off 22, she can still have plenty of time for another marriage if she found another man willing to accept her and her children.
I am sure someone accept her and her childrens,,since she still so pretty and talent,,,she can sing and act ,,, not mention about her childrens custody fee
their age differences is so wide. who really thought this relationship could have lasted this long…. she`s set for life and can do whatever she wants…
Very interesting. Front page in local chinese papers, said she was paid like 300 million HKD? Anyway the alleged breakup was blamed on her for meeting up with her first love whom she has known since 8 or something at some pub. Richard was enraged with jealousy and so broke up with her.
You know what I think? The money is to buy her silence and let the blame fall on her. She is no angel but she ain’t the devil.
Ehh.. I’m not gonna feel bad for her. Lots and lots of divorces happen nowadays, even with children in the picture. At least she walked away as a millionaire at the mere age of 22…
that right She is no angel but she ain’t the devil.
Money is everything.
Giving 30 billion to the grandkids??? That’s 8-10 of Yao mings you can have. He didn’t even donate much to the Szechuan earthquake. Also he only gave 1 billion to the people that captured his son and made his son a retard. Ka shing also gave two houses to Isabella in San Francisco already. Those houses in San francisco are small and expensive. Another is whoever that dines with li ka shing has to pay individually. He didn’t pay for anyone. Would he really pay that much???
Masharu I think you’re right it’s 300 million not 30 billion because that’s way too much. He paid 1 billion to get his son back and I’m sure he wouldn’t pay 10 billion for each grandkid.
“Also he only gave 1 billion to the people that captured his son and made his son a retard.”
Seeing the activities of Victor Li after the kidnapping incident, he doesn’t seem like a retard.
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/F-L/Li-Victor-1964.html
” Also he only gave 1 billion to the people that captured his son and made his son a retard. “
Looking at his activities after the kidnapping incident, he doesn’t seem like a retard.
I had a feeling that this would happen since he refused to officially marry her,so I am not that shocked at all. They both got something from each other though. She got a lot of money and he got 3 sons. Whether they did love each other or not, I don’t think it matters anymore since they have split from each other. Life goes on and good luck to her!!
Hi Jayne. Why my reply to Laughingbear has yet to be approved after one day? It has one link in the comment.
Nevermind, I’ll reply again without the link.
Kidd,
I approved your comment. The spam protection is sometimes too aggressive with the filtering algorithm. Our site gets a lot of spam comments with bad links. I also don’t have time to constantly check the spam filter for legitimate comments.
I think in general Isabella benifited the most of this. She had her first son at 20 and twins at 22, so life technically just begun for her and she is already ahead of everyone, financially and as a woman, motherhood. Emotional pain, maybe, but that will heal in time, come-on, she is just 22. With the amount of money that she received, her childrens and her future are secured, so she is free to do what she want. In an unrealistic world, money is not everything, but in a realistic world, money is everything.