Jackie Chan (Photo : Reuters)
Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan confessed that he felt ashamed of his son, who has been indicted by Beijing authorities and is facing three years of jail time.
These remarks were reported by Xinhua News Agency two days after Beijing officials announced his son Jaycee Chan's indictment. The younger Chan was charged with sheltering others for drug use.
The 60-year-old actor confessed that his son's arrest is embarrassing for him since he was named by China as an anti-drug ambassador back in 2009.
The actor who is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory panel, told Xinhua that he did not use any of his political connections regarding the plight of his son. He further said that he wants his son to follow his footsteps and become a drug ambassador upon his release. Chan also said that as a drug ambassador, he feels shame, while as a father, he is heartbroken.
In August, Beijing police arrested and detained the younger Chan along with Taiwanese actor Ko Kai for drug use. Beijing authorities claimed that both actors tested positive for drug use and admitted using the drug in Chan's apartment; 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of marijuana was retrieved from Chan's apartment.
Ko was released after 14 days of detention, while Chan was charged with a criminal offense. Jaycee Chan remained in custody since August, and this week, was finally indicted with a formal charge.
CCTV aired in August a video clip of the Beijing police raid of Chan's apartment. The video showed Chan identifying marijuana, while Ko admitted that he had smoked the illegal stuff in Chan's house. Chan also admitted on camera that he has been smoking weed for eight years.
The arrest of the actors were part of Beijing's campaign drive to rid the streets of China of drug and prostitution. Chinese President Xi Jinping declared in June the government's plan of driving illegal vices out of China. The police are particularly targeting celebrities because of their influence over the younger Chinese generation.
