Late singer Anita Mui's mother disowns son
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HONG KONG • Madam Tam Mei Kam, mother of Hong Kong pop diva Anita Mui, has disowned her elder son Mui Kai Ming due to his debts.
In a notice published in local newspapers yesterday, Madam Tam, 98, announced that she has severed ties with her 70-year-old son.
Mr Mui is Madam Tam's only surviving child. Her younger daughter, Anita Mui, died at the age of 40 in December 2003 from cervical cancer.
Madam Tam's younger son Mui Tak Ming died of throat cancer at the age of 62 in 2015, while her elder daughter, singer-actress Ann Mui, died of cervical cancer at the age of 40 in 2000.
Madam Tam and Mr Mui Kai Ming's relationship began to sour late last year when he sued the production company behind the movie Anita (2021) for alleged trademark infringements. The biopic of the Cantopop superstar featured model Louise Wong in her acting debut as Anita Mui, with actor Terrance Lau playing another late Cantopop legend, Leslie Cheung.
Madam Tam accused her son of being obsessed with money and issued a statement distancing herself from the lawsuit. She disclosed that she had cut him off financially six months ago, after suspecting that he has a mistress, and threatened to disown him if he did not drop the lawsuit.
She made good on her word yesterday. According to Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News, she resorted to the drastic measure as he was approaching her frequently for money to pay off his debts.
Mr Mui admitted to the media that he was in debt, but claimed it was not a big sum of money. He said it was incurred from a 21-day quarantine in a hotel by his son, who had returned from Malaysia to Hong Kong.
He added his mother had requested that her grandson spend Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. He accused his relatives of instigating his mother to disown him.
