“Maybe that is the biggest sadness in my life, that I cannot have kids,” the actress told The Times in an interview, according to Business Insider. “But the beauty is that I have six godchildren, many nephews and nieces.”

Yeoh, 62, realized her infertility soon after her first marriage to Hong Kong entrepreneur Dickson Poon in 1988, after which she even decided to retire from her acting career to “start a family.”

Despite her efforts to make it work, she was unable to conceive, which taught her to “learn to let go” and move forward with her life.

As Poon wanted children, their marriage ultimately ended in 1991.

“I knew my ex really wanted a big family… not just one son, but two sons or even three would be better,” Yeoh shared on The Goop Podcast, according to AsiaOne. “He was working hard for a big empire and he needed sons to carry on his lineage.”

The actress remains the godmother to Poon’s eldest daughter. She later married former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt in 2023 after nearly two decades of companionship.

Born in the Malaysian state of Perak to a family of Chinese descent, Yeoh’s father was a Senator of Malaysia from 1959 to 1969 and a member of Perak’s Malaysian Chinese Association. As reported by The Straits Timeshe was also a transportation tycoon before his death in 2014.

Yeoh won the Miss Malaysia World contest in 1983 and represented Malaysia at the Miss World 1983 pageant in London, where she placed 18th.

Her initial acting job was in a television commercial with Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. She soon moved to film acting and gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s by starring in Hong Kong action and martial arts films, performing her own stunts.

As of 2024, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture, both for her role in the 2022 film “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”