Michelle Yeoh Was Desperate to Have Children – Inside Her IVF Journey

Michelle Yeoh has been married once. 

She is currently in a relationship with her partner Jean Todt but was married from 1988 to 1992 to Hong Kong entrepreneur Dickson Poon. When she was married to her husband, Yeoh had a flourishing career.

However, she gave it all up to have children and make a family with Poon. She was desperate to be a mother, so she tried to focus on herself and her husband.

She even tried IVF, but unfortunately, it was all in vain.

Michelle Yeoh tried IVF to have children

In a 2018 interview with You Magazine, the Oscar-winning actress opened up about wanting to have children. She revealed she was desperate to have kids and even tried IVF treatment.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the various treatments available to aid people who are having difficulty having a baby. During IVF, an egg is extracted from the woman’s ovaries and fertilized in a laboratory using sperm. 

The fertilized egg, known as an embryo, is subsequently returned to the woman’s womb to develop and thrive. It is a complicated process that takes a toll on a woman’s mental and physical health.

Yeoh told the magazine, “I was desperate. I love kids and saw myself surrounded by them. But there’s only so much you can put your body and mind through.”

Michelle Yeoh does not have children of her own. (Source: Instagram)

Unfortunately, her IVF treatments were not successful. As a result, Yeoh could do nothing, but accept her reality.

She said, “It comes to a stage where you have to accept it, move on and deal with the repercussions. And in a Chinese family, [having children] means a great deal.”

Not being able to conceive children was one of the reasons for the actress’s divorce from her first husband. She told Bustle in March 2022, “And if I’m being honest with myself, I didn’t want for us to be bitter 10 years down the road.”

She explained how people in Asian households wanted kids because they were an extension and a legacy. So, since Yeoh and Poon could not have any children, the pair came to terms with it.

“You deal with the curveballs that are thrown at you,” she said.

Michelle Yeoh and her stepson

Despite not having children of her own, Yeoh is a godmother to various kids. This includes her ex-husband’s daughter Dee and her brother’s kids.

The Everything Everywhere All at Once star also has a stepson with whom she shares a lovely relationship. Since 2004, she has been dating French motor racing executive Todt. 

The couple got engaged in 2005 and have been together since then. However, they have not exchanged vows over 18 years after they originally became engaged. 

Todt was previously married and has a son called Nicolas, who is also a motor racing manager. According to the Financial Times, Jean and Michelle had a property in Geneva, Switzerland, where Nicolas resided nearby.

The three appear to be a very happy family, and Yeoh has shared adorable images with her fiancé and his son on Instagram.  So despite not having children of her own, Yeoh is leading a happy life with her partner and stepson.