After months of speculation, Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen, 41, and Chinese actor Chen Xiao, 36, who were married for eight years, have confirmed their split.
They announced their divorce in identical statements on their Weibo accounts yesterday (Feb 18): “Grateful to have met, wishing each other well. As co-parents, we will raise our child together.”
They also tagged each other in their posts.
The couple tied the knot in 2016 after meeting on the set of 2014 Chinese drama The Romance Of The Condor Heroes. They have a eight-year-old son, Muchen.
The couple’s divorce did not come as a surprise to many.
Rumours of trouble in their relationship have been circulating since June 2024. Speculation hit a high in December when Chen Xiao was spotted in Hangzhou, where he was filming a new drama, and did not attend his father-in-law’s funeral.
But what we didn’t expect was the, um, positive reaction to their break-up.
News of their divorce announcement quickly topped Weibo’s trending list, with a flood of congratulatory messages pouring in on the pair’s socials.
“Congratulations on being divorced and getting out of the sea of misery, things will get better in the future,” wrote one netizen, while another said: “Michelle, I respect you… Congratulations on being single again.”
A third wrote: “Finally free to focus on your careers.”
Many netizens also reminisced about the iconic “veil kiss” during their wedding, where Chen Xiao lifted Michelle’s veil, swooped under it and kissed her.
That moment went viral and has been imitated by many, including a few dramas.
One fan lamented that it is “now a tearful relic of the past”.