During an interview on BBC Radio 4’s show Woman’s Hour on a Monday, the 62-year-old actress shared her desire to have children with her first husband, Dickson Poon. Unfortunately, the couple faced infertility issues which hindered their plans for a family. Yeoh expressed her lifelong wish to become a mother, highlighting the importance of starting a new generation within her marriage. However, the challenges they encountered concerning infertility ultimately contributed to the end of her first marriage.
Yeoh detailed her attempts to address infertility by undergoing various fertility treatments, although she did not specify the exact methods utilized. While treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) are commonly sought by couples facing infertility, the success rates can fluctuate due to factors such as age and underlying health conditions. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that procedures like IVF and intrauterine insemination (IUI) result in a live birth only 23 percent of the time.
In spite of undergoing multiple fertility treatments, Yeoh revealed that none of them proved successful for her. Dealing with the disappointment of unsuccessful attempts, she described the emotional toll of feeling like a failure each month. Over time, she came to terms with the realization that certain aspects of her body did not function as expected, leading to a level of self-acceptance regarding the situation.
Yeoh then described how the experience affected her marriage. “These are conversations that you really have to have with yourself and be able to look ahead and think, ‘Yes, we love each other very much now, but in 10 years or 20 years, I still can’t give him the family that he craves,’” said Yeoh. “And you have to be fair.” Despite what Yeoh and her former husband went through, she said, “we tried.”
Despite her struggles, Yeoh said learning to move forward was an important part of her journey. “I think you come to a point where you have to stop blaming you,” she said, explaining that she had to eventually “let go and move on.”
After separating from her ex-husband, Yeoh later met French motor racing executive Jean Todt. The two became engaged after just a month of dating and married in 2023 after a 19-year engagement, according to People. Now, Yeoh is a stepmother to Todt’s son, who just welcomed his first child. Yeoh shared the news in an Instagram post, welcoming her grandson’s arrival.
“We are so truly blessed… can’t tell u how happy I am for this very very special bundle of joy ❤️✨,” she wrote in the caption. Yeoh later joked on Today that people thought she had a baby after her announcement. She also told Woman’s Hour that she’s thrilled to be a grandmother. “Of course, I’m not going to have a baby right now, but the thing is we just had a grandchild,” she said. “Then you feel you’re still very, very blessed because you do have a baby in your life.”
You can listen to the full podcast here, and catch Yeoh starring in the film adaptation of Wicked, which premieres on November 22.
