Zing-Ci Leung (梁靜慈) is a Hong Kong advertising executive and the first wife of action star Donnie Yen. They married in late 1993. The marriage ended in less than a year. Their son, Jeff Yen, was born in 1995 after the divorce was finalized.
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She has never given a public interview. She has no known social media presence. Most of what circulates online about her is secondhand, unverified, or pulled from Donnie Yen’s biography rather than from anything she has said herself.
This article separates confirmed facts from widely repeated claims with no clear source.
Who Is Zing-Ci Leung?
Before meeting Donnie Yen, Leung worked in advertising in Hong Kong. Her professional career placed her in the city’s business sector during the early 1990s. Whether she continued in that field after becoming a mother is not publicly known.
She is not an actress, entertainer, or public figure. Her connection to public life runs entirely through her former marriage.
She once stated that she “is accustomed to an ordinary life and does not like to be as flamboyant as a celebrity.”
Marriage to Donnie Yen
How They Met
Donnie Yen and Zing-Ci Leung met around 1990, introduced through mutual friends in Hong Kong. At the time, Yen was building his film career, having appeared in Tiger Cage (1988) and approaching his breakthrough role in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992).
The Wedding
The couple married in late 1993, registering their marriage in the United States. Neither set of parents attended. Friends were not informed. The wedding was kept deliberately secret — consistent with Leung’s preference for privacy both before and after the marriage.
In November 1993, Leung accompanied Yen to the premiere of his film as his girlfriend, marking one of her only known public appearances alongside him.
The Divorce
The marriage lasted less than a year. In November 1994, Leung initiated legal separation proceedings through a lawyer, citing personality differences. The divorce was finalized as a consensual separation.
After the divorce was finalized, Leung discovered she was pregnant.
Jeff Yen and the Divorce Aftermath
Birth and Early Life
Jeff Yen (甄文焯, also known as Man-Zeok Yen) was born in 1995. He was raised in Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, largely out of the public eye. Leung left her job after the marriage at Donnie Yen’s request; after the divorce, she focused on raising Jeff full-time.
Financial Arrangements
Donnie Yen provided ongoing financial support after the divorce. According to Hong Kong media reports, this included monthly child support payments of HK$40,000, rental income from a jointly-owned property, and continued mortgage payments. Upon the sale of the property, Leung received half the proceeds.
Leung has said she saves every installment of child support for Jeff’s future, not wanting him to become an undisciplined “celebrity child.”
The 2013 Hospitalization
In 2013, Jeff was hospitalized due to an illness. Donnie Yen’s absence during the hospitalization drew public criticism in Hong Kong media. During interviews at the time, Leung declined to discuss the amount of alimony or her relationship with Yen’s current wife, Cissy Wang. She denied any contact between the two families.
Jeff Today
As of 2025, Jeff is 30 years old. His birthday falls around April 15, based on his father’s previous public birthday wishes on that date in 2019.
In April 2025, Donnie Yen hosted a joint birthday celebration for Jeff and his wife Cissy Wang. He posted photos on Instagram wearing the same outfit with both his wife and his son, indicating the celebrations took place on the same day. He captioned the photo with Jeff: “Happy birthday to my son Jeff.” He wrote of Wang: “Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife! You are a shining star, heart and soul in the family.”
The joint celebration suggests some level of family interaction exists between households — a shift from Leung’s 2013 denial of any contact between the two families. Leung herself has not commented publicly on this or any other matter.
Donnie Yen’s Second Family
In August 2003, Donnie Yen married Cissy Wang, whom he met at a dinner event earlier that year. They married within three months of meeting. Wang was crowned Miss Chinese Toronto in 2000. She is a model, producer, co-founder of Super Bullet Pictures, and manages Yen’s career. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Spanish, and French.
The couple has two children: Jasmine Yen, born in 2004, who is an accomplished singer and songwriter signed with Sony Music’s RCA Records, and James Yen, born around 2007.
In 2023, Yen and Wang celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal ceremony at Villa Balbiano in Lake Como, Italy. Yen wrote on social media: “Marriage is not only about love but commitment, loyalty, and supporting each other.”
In total, Donnie Yen has three children: Jeff from his first marriage, and Jasmine and James from his second. Yen, now 62, has served as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) since March 2023 and has confirmed upcoming projects including Ip Man 5 and Flash Point 2.
Verified vs. Unverified Claims
| Confirmed | Unverified |
|---|---|
| Advertising executive in Hong Kong | Net worth estimates of $1–2 million (appears to be assumed from divorce settlement) |
| Met Donnie Yen around 1990 | Claims about specific property purchases made for Leung |
| Married late 1993 in the United States | Current location — some sources say Hong Kong, others suggest Canada |
| Marriage lasted less than a year; divorce finalized 1994 | Whether she has remarried — no reports exist, but absence of reporting is not confirmation |
| Son Jeff born 1995 after the divorce | Jeff’s career or professional pursuits |
| Lived in Clearwater Bay after the divorce | |
| Financial support from Donnie Yen, including monthly payments | |
| No public social media presence; no formal interviews given | |
| Denied contact between the two families (2013) |
Why So Little Is Known
Leung has no public social media presence. She has never given an interview. She has not appeared at events connected to Donnie Yen’s career or issued statements through representatives.
In 2018, when asked by the media about Donnie Yen, she politely declined the interview, stating she “currently only seeks to quietly raise her son to adulthood.” She continued working and living a routine life.
This is not unusual for private individuals briefly married to someone famous. The lack of information is not a mystery — it is a deliberate choice. When verifiable details do not exist, speculation fills the gap. This article does not participate in that cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zing-Ci Leung?
She is Donnie Yen’s first wife, a former Hong Kong advertising executive, and the mother of their son, Jeff Yen.
When did Zing-Ci Leung and Donnie Yen get married?
Late 1993. They registered their marriage in the United States. The ceremony was kept secret from both families and friends.
How long were they married?
Less than a year. Leung initiated legal separation in November 1994, citing personality differences.
Do they have children together?
Yes. Their son Jeff Yen was born in 1995, after the divorce was finalized.
How many children does Donnie Yen have in total?
Three. Jeff Yen (born 1995) from his first marriage, and Jasmine Yen (born 2004) and James Yen (born around 2007) from his marriage to Cissy Wang.
Where is Zing-Ci Leung now?
Her current location is not publicly confirmed. After the divorce, she lived in Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong. She has said she prefers a quiet, ordinary life.
Has she remarried?
No remarriage has been reported. This has not been confirmed or denied by Leung or any representative.
Is there contact between Zing-Ci Leung and Donnie Yen’s current family?
In 2013 interviews, Leung denied any contact between the two families. However, in April 2025, Donnie Yen hosted a joint birthday celebration for his wife Cissy Wang and his son Jeff, suggesting some level of cross-household interaction exists. Leung has not commented publicly on this.
Conclusion
The confirmed facts about Zing-Ci Leung are narrow by design: she worked in advertising in Hong Kong, she met Donnie Yen around 1990, they married in late 1993 in the United States, the marriage ended in less than a year with divorce finalized in 1994, she discovered her pregnancy afterward and gave birth to Jeff in 1995, and she raised him out of the public eye in Clear Water Bay.
She has stated she prefers an ordinary life and has focused on raising her son quietly. The 2025 joint birthday celebration suggests a more functional family dynamic than the 2013 public controversy indicated — though Leung herself has confirmed nothing.
Everything beyond these facts — net worth figures, property claims, location details, relationship status — is either secondhand reporting or unverified speculation. This article includes widely repeated claims for completeness, not because they are confirmed.
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