Michelle Yeoh and her fiancé, Jean Todt, are in no rush to tie the knot after nearly two decades together.
“They’re both independent, strong-willed people who are secure in their relationship,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “Just knowing they’re committed to each other seems to be enough.”
According to the insider, the couple initially had plans to exchange vows after Todt, 77, proposed in 2005. “They got engaged very quickly, but when they started planning a wedding, no dates worked because they both were so busy with their careers,” the source adds.
The Oscar winner and the motor racing executive have contemplated taking the next step in their relationship over the years. “They like to joke with friends that they’re going to elope at any moment and that excitement seems to be what they love,” the insider shares with Us.
The pair first met in 2004 while the Everything Everywhere All at Once actress was doing publicity for Ferrari in Shanghai. Todt, for his part, was the Chief Executive Officer for the luxury sports car brand from 2004 to 2008.
Prior her romance with Todt, Yeoh was married to businessman Dickson Poon from 1988 to 1992. The Sunshine star previously opened up about how the marriage contributed to her decision to take a break from acting.
“It wasn’t because of pressure from Dickson and his family or anything like that — because in Asia, it does happen where the women are [expected to be] a married housewife or a mother as soon as possible and not work. But at that time, it was my choice to leave because I’m not a good multitasker,” Yeoh told Bustle in March, explaining that she became a stepmother to Poon’s daughter with his first wife, Marjorie Yang. “I looked in awe at some of the actresses who were able to juggle being a mother, take the kids to school, and act or produce. It blew my mind. I felt if I continued acting, I’d be constantly away from home. I couldn’t understand how I could have a full [career while] being married.”
The Crazy Rich Asians star said the relationship ended after she found out that she couldn’t have kids.
“And if I’m being honest with myself, I didn’t want for us to be bitter 10 years down the road. Because in Asian families, people want to have sons and daughters [because] they are an extension and a legacy,” she continued. “And when you have the realization [that you can’t have kids], you have to deal with it. You deal with the curveballs that are thrown at you.”
Yeoh has also offered a rare glimpse into her bond with Todt, telling The Guardian in 2021, “We’ve been threatening to get married for such a long time. Sometimes we say, ‘Wait, didn’t we already do it?’”
The France native, meanwhile, publicly gushed over his fiancée when she won 2023 Best Actress Academy Award for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. “Moment of pure grace and immense happiness! What a journey! So proud of Michelle who received the Oscar Academy Award of the best actress,” he tweeted in March.
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