Veteran singer Chin Whai reportedly heads for divorce with wife 40 years younger than him

Veteran local singer Chin Whai, 87, is reportedly headed for divorce from his wife after nearly 10 years of marriage.

The couple registered their marriage on Nov 30, 2015, and have a 40-year age gap.

Li Yujie, 47, from Qingdao, China, filed for divorce in January this year. She cited several incidents and claimed Mr Chin became unreachable when she needed his help.

Ms Li told Shin Min Daily News that after she tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10, 2023, she asked Mr Chin to stay at her sister's house to avoid infecting him.

He left the next day and, unexpectedly, never returned. She was unable to contact him and eventually resorted to calling the police.

"We met a few times afterward, but the meetings were brief, only five to 10 minutes."

Among the grounds for divorce listed in the filing is Ms Li's claim that she underwent artificial insemination at least five times without success.

Ms Li also said she needed her husband's assistance to apply for a permit to stay in Singapore after their marriage, but he became unreachable.

She further alleged he made her life difficult, refused to provide alimony, cancelled her phone line, and even closed the bank account for Mo Yu Zhai, the art gallery she runs.

She said both parties and their lawyers have agreed to attend mediation proceedings.

The divorce papers estimate the total value of their marital assets to be between $2 million and $4.99 million.

Shin Min Daily News was unable to reach Mr Chin for comment.

Rumours of marital problems surfaced in May 2023, but Mr Chin denied them at the time, stating they were living a "peaceful and tranquil life".

Mr Chin, a local singer-songwriter, enjoyed popularity in the 1960s and 70s and was known for performing at charity events. He won singing awards in Singapore and Hong Kong and starred in two films in the '60s.

His first marriage to 1960s Shaw Brothers' actress Yu Chien ended in divorce. Ms Yu died in 2000. The couple had two sons together.

According to The Straits Times, Mr Chin and Ms Li met at an exhibition in Singapore in 2008 but didn't begin dating until 2015.

Mr Chin gave her singing lessons, and the pair performed together at a charity concert in 2016.