The Academy Awards' Best Actress winner Michelle Yeoh and former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt finally tied the knot after *19 years*! The two had a simple wedding ceremony in the presence of their close friends and family last July 26, 2023. They got married in Geneva, Switzerland where they are currently residing. But why did it take nearly two decades for them to get married?
Let's take a quick walk down memory lane. Michelle was initially a ballerina. At 15, she was actually enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dance in London. In an extensive article on Michelle's career by The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed that she had never thought about being an actress—she even had stage fright back then! A back injury led her to explore the world of acting as her minor program instead of ballet.
When she reached her twenties, she became a beauty queen and represented Malaysia in the Miss World 1983 pageant in London. She had her first acting stint on a TV commercial with renowned action star Jackie Chan. Not long after, she began her career in the martial arts acting industry in Hong Kong. But Michelle suddenly retired from acting when she married businessman Dickson Poon, who was then the owner of D&B Productions (Michelle's former Hong Kong talent agency).
Luckily, circumstances led her back to the entertainment industry. Michelle came back to the movie scene and divorced Dickson in 1992. The actress started to focus more on her career l, and bagged roles in several big Hong Kong films like Police Story 3: Super Cop and The Heroic Trio. In 1997, Michelle starred in her first Hollywood movie, the hit film Tomorrow Never Dies.
Michelle has kept herself busy with acting. She had several back-to-back projects, and one of those projects became the start of her lovely relationship with Jean.
It was the year 2004 and Michelle had a publicity project with motosports company, Ferrari. Back then, Jean was still handling the brand as its CEO. That's when the two met. The two seemed to have clicked and kept in touch because in July 26 of the same year, Michelle and Jean got engaged!
The interval between their first meeting and their engagement might seem quick to some. So why the almost two-decade interval between the proposal and the wedding? Well, the two are both career-oriented individuals and have so much passion for their respective industries.
The award-winning actress admitted in an interview with Town & Country that they were just too busy to organize a wedding. Jean was a Swiss resident, and that meant there would be a lot of paperwork involved for him. In a Los Angeles Times article, Michelle shared that holding a proper wedding was not important to her, as long as she's with the person she loves the most. However, she also added: "But it means a lot to Jean, so it means a lot to me."
Michelle finally shared on Instagram some photos from their much-awaited wedding with the caption, "19 years and YES!! we are married!! Thkq to our ‘families’ who love us for all these years . We love you and here’s to many more to come."
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The news of their marriage first reached the media because racing driver Felipe Massa posted pics of the wedding on Instagram. Jean humorously confirmed their wedding on Twitter later on. Michelle was actually the last to post about the wedding!
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ICYDK, Michelle is the *first* Asian actress to have won Best Actress at the Oscars for her role in the fantasy film Everything Everywhere All At Once. Her breakthrough was not just for herself, but for all the Asians working hard to create a global impact. Her acceptance speech brought so much hope for everyone else trying their very best to fulfill their dreams. Michelle shared, "For all the little boys and girls who look like me, watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams, dream big and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up."
Michelle and Jean's wedding happened in the perfect time. The lovers tied the knot when they were both in the best eras of their lives, and this is just one more milestone in their relationship —marriage.
Congratulations, Michelle and Jean!
