By reporter Ke Wu: Yesterday, a media outlet reported that Wang Xueqi had filed for divorce after 39 years of marriage. It is understood that Wang Xueqi himself has decided to remain silent on the matter, but reporters have learned some insider information from those in the know. In fact, Wang Xueqi's decision to divorce is not as the public imagines — it’s not because he became a movie star with a hundredfold increase in wealth and then abandoned his long-time spouse. In reality, Wang Xueqi began the divorce procedures last year, and the couple had been living separately for eight years.
The marital discord dates back a long time. Reporters learned that Wang Xueqi is currently working on the film set of "The Orphan of Zhao," and the exposure of the divorce news has caused him some negative impact. Therefore, he decided not to comment further on the matter to the press. Wang Xueqi once said: “This thing (the divorce) has been going on for more than a few years, everyone in our troupe knows about this situation. When she was posted overseas, we only spent a few days together each year.” Moreover, Wang Xueqi believes his career also brought pressure to his wife, such as shooting kissing scenes.
Reporters also learned from an insider that Wang Xueqi is actually a very responsible man. His wife works as a cultural counselor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has been stationed abroad for a long time. In fact, before they decided to divorce, they had already lived apart for eight years, indicating there was no longer any emotional bond between them or a normal family life. The reasons he waited until now to file for divorce are twofold: first, his father-in-law had always been unwell, so to avoid causing worry to the elderly, Wang Xueqi refrained from filing for divorce until his father-in-law passed away peacefully; secondly, his son, Wang Dading, who returned from studying in the UK, has started his own life and supports his parents' decision, meaning he will no longer be harmed by their separation.
Fan Bingbing gets "dragged into it"
On the night Wang Xueqi won the Best Actor award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong last week, reporters saw Wang Xueqi heading to attend the celebration banquet for "The Siege" at a seafood restaurant in Causeway Bay. Despite being somewhat thinner, Wang Xueqi looked spirited, warmly greeted the reporters, and jogged ahead, leaving his young entourage struggling to keep up. He didn't look like someone over sixty at all.
Yesterday's divorce news also led many netizens to speculate: Is Wang Xueqi seeking a new partner? And some even linked it to Fan Bingbing. Since two years ago when Wang Xueqi handed over his management contract to Fan Bingbing's studio, their cooperation has grown closer. They have starred together in films like "The Siege," "Golden Bachelor Club," "Fields of麦田," and are now both working on Chen Kaige's "The Orphan of Zhao." Regarding these speculations, Fan Bingbing Studio's publicity director stated that such associations were boring. Wang Xueqi is described as a highly respected artist and an idol to Fan Bingbing. Divorce is a private issue, and after the media exposed it, Wang Xueqi was quite upset and entrusted the company to make no further responses.