Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Jing recently opened up about one of the entertainment industry’s greatest mysteries — the sudden retirement of Joey Wong, the legendary actress who defined an era of Hong Kong cinema.
On October 25, Wong Jing posted a video on social media revealing that Joey Wong’s decision to leave the entertainment world at the height of her fame was driven by both industry decline and personal heartbreak.
“She Left Because the Industry Was Dying”
According to the director, the Hong Kong film industry in the late 1990s was experiencing a serious downturn.
“The movie business had lost its momentum,” Wong Jing said. “Even Shaw Brothers Studio stopped production. There were fewer opportunities, and artists began struggling to find meaningful work.”
At the same time, Joey Wong — one of Asia’s most beloved actresses — was caught in a controversial relationship with businessman Lam Kin Ngok, a married man.
“She was harshly criticized by the public,” Wong Jing revealed. “Even a senior member of his family confronted her directly, saying words that no woman could ever accept. Heartbroken and disillusioned, she chose to leave the industry.”
The Scandal That Changed Everything
Born in 1967 in Taiwan, Joey Wong rose to fame in Hong Kong after debuting in 1985, quickly earning the title of “Hong Kong’s Screen Goddess.” But her private life soon became a media frenzy.
At the height of her success, tabloids exposed her relationship with Lam Kin Ngok, painting her as the “homewrecker” who ruined a family.
According to Sina, Lam Kin Ngok’s mother publicly condemned Joey, calling her “a vixen who broke up my son’s home,” and vowed that “someone like her will never step foot into our family.”
In a later interview, Joey Wong defended herself, saying: “When I learned he was married, I refused to get involved. I never wanted to be the other woman. But he told me he was already filing for divorce, so I allowed myself to believe him.”
Their relationship lasted around three years before collapsing. Despite divorcing his wife, Lam Kin Ngok reportedly had no intention of marrying Joey — and soon became involved with another woman. Devastated, Joey sold her property in Hong Kong and returned to Taiwan, leaving the entertainment world behind.
A Second Heartbreak and Exile to Canada
Back in Taiwan, Joey reconnected with her first love, singer Chyi Chin, rekindling hopes of a happy ending. However, their reunion ended abruptly after Chyi Chin’s ex-girlfriend accused him of abandoning her and their child.
Shocked by the revelation, Joey ended the relationship and, in 2004, quietly moved to Canada, where she has lived ever since.
According to Next Apple, Joey has embraced a private, spiritual life, converting to Buddhism under the Dharma name “行覺”. She spends her days in peace, occasionally participating in temple charity events but rarely making public appearances.
A Timeless Beauty and an Unforgettable Legacy
Though she left the limelight decades ago, Joey Wong remains one of the most iconic faces of Asian cinema. Her ethereal beauty and elegance in films such as A Chinese Ghost Story, God of Gamblers, Shanghai Story, and Pan Jinlian earned her a place among the greatest actresses of the 20th century.
Even today, her image continues to define the golden age of Hong Kong cinema — a haunting reminder of both her mystique and melancholy, the price of fame paid by one of Asia’s most beloved “screen goddesses.”
Sources: China Times,Sina,On.cc,Next Apple,Weibo,Sinchew
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