Taiwanese host Jacky Wu admits he has been divorced for 12 years

Taiwanese singer-host Jacky Wu confirmed publicly for the first time on July 18 that he and his wife, Chang Wei-wei, divorced 12 years ago and that he had left all his assets to her.

Wu, who rarely spoke publicly about their relationship, revealed this at his concert in Malaysia’s Genting Highlands.

Wu, 63, married Chang, 64, in 1990 and they have four children – daughters Sandy, Vivian and Olivia, and son Rick.

Sandy, 35, is a fellow TV host who used to co-host the variety show Super Entourage (2016 to 2025) with her father.

Rick, 28, is a singer who goes by the stage name LucyPIE.

Vivian and Olivia are not in the entertainment industry.

During his performance on July 18, Wu’s protege, comedian “Seafood” Liu Wei-ting, surprised his girlfriend Lee Ying-hsuan by proposing to her on stage, with Wu serving as a witness.

Wu then spoke about his divorce, which he said happened 12 years ago.

The artiste said that he signed the divorce papers amicably with the encouragement and support of Sandy, who helped him complete the divorce proceedings.

“I am not a good husband, but I am definitely a good father,” he said.

He also revealed that he had chosen to “walk away with nothing”, leaving all his assets to his former wife.

Wu told Taiwanese media outlet Next Apple News in a report published on July 19 that his divorce had been an open secret in the Taiwanese entertainment industry, but he had not taken the initiative to address it in the past.

“It’s been circulating in the industry for a while now,” he said. “At my age, it doesn’t matter – it’s been so long since the divorce.”

He said that going public with his divorce now was simply a natural progression and that there was no need to conceal it deliberately.

Wu also clarified that Sandy did not interfere in her parents’ relationship and only “helped handle the paperwork”.

He added that he had parted ways amicably with Chang, and that their paths in life had diverged gradually.

“She joined the church to become a preacher, while I was busy with my entertainment career,” he said.

According to previous media reports, Chang and her elder sister ran a hair salon in Taipei in her earlier years, and she met Wu through work. The couple later held their wedding banquet in New Taipei City.

Wu’s entertainment career was taking off at that time and he did not officially acknowledge to the public until 2000 that he was married.

While Wu’s divorce announcement was a shock to some fans, there were hints in the past that the couple were no longer married.

Wu admitted during an event in Taipei in 2024 that he and Chang had lived apart for many years, adding that he did not know where her current abode was.

When asked by the media then if he was still in contact with her, he replied: “Don’t ask this question. Everything is fine.”