Mao Shun-ki reveals why she turned down Leslie Cheung’s early marriage proposal

Hong Kong actress Mao Shun‑ki, now 65, discussed her former relationship with late superstar Leslie Cheung during a recent interview promoting her stage play. She said the two met while filming a TV drama and that Cheung soon proposed marriage when she was only 17. “I was scared and didn’t know what to do, so I pulled away,” Mao recalled, adding that the hurried proposal may have doomed the romance. Cheung later joked, “If you had married me, my life could have changed.”

Mao also praised Cheung’s professionalism, noting his dedication even after becoming a mega‑star. She later married her current husband, District Ding Ping, has two daughters, and won Best Actress at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in “Yellow Gold Flower.”