HONG KONG - The wife of Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen complained that their family was badly treated when they turned up for a fund-raising event on March 25.

The organiser, HIV charity organisation amfAR, issued an apology after Yen's wife Cissy Wang posted that they had faced racial discrimination.

She said staff initially stopped them from getting into the venue at Rosewood Hong Kong hotel.

She felt that the Hollywood and Korean pop stars were treated better.

"I think they simply look down on us Chinese," Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao quoted Wang as saying.

The event drew big names such as Heidi Klum and Nicole Scherzinger.

Yen, his wife and daughter showed their displeasure by leaving the event early.

Wang said that as a parent, she had to lead by example and show her daughter that discrimination was not acceptable.