The story of Yang Mi and Hawick Lau: Marriage, divorce and custody

There was a time when Yang Mi and Hawick Lau were one of the biggest power couples of the Chinese entertainment industry. How did their love story end up falling apart?

Image: Jiangsu TV

Yang Mi is a Chinese actress and singer who has gained international fame through her various roles in films and TV dramas. She is currently one of China’s top actresses and is well-known for being the breakout star of the 2011 C-series ‘Palace’.

Did you know? Yang Mi, who was born on September 12, 1986, in Beijing, China, began her acting career at the age of four when she starred in the historical television series ‘Tang Ming Huang’!

Being put on-screen at a young age served to blossom a serious interest in acting within Yang Mi, as she gradually went on to enrol in the Beijing Film Academy to pursue and train in acting professionally.

What really catapulted Yang Mi into fame was her breakthrough role in 2011 when she starred in ‘Palace’ where she played a time-traveller who falls in love with a Manchurian prince.

Yang Mi went on to star in popular dramas such as ‘Swords of Legends’ and ‘Eternal Love’ after her breakthrough, which served to further cement her position as a leading actress in the C-entertainment industry!

In 2010, Yang Mi made history when she was recognized as one of the "Four Dan Actresses" of the generation following the 1990s, along with Zhao Liying, Liu Shishi, and Tang Yan.

Image: Hunan TV

That made Yang Mi one of the four most marketable young actresses in China, solidifying her place at the pinnacle of the Chinese acting industry!

Image: Zhejiang TV

To view some of Yang Mi’s other works, it is recommended that you watch her in ‘Wang Zhaojun’, ‘Chinese Paladin 3’, and ‘Beijing Love Story’.

Image: Hunan TV

How did the love story start then? From South China Morning Post, Yang Mi met Hong Kong actor Hawick Lau while on set of ’As You Wish’ in 2011. The two announced their relationship publicly a year later and the rest is history.

Image: Kukan

Hawick Lau is a Hong Kong actor and singer, known for his prolific work in Hong Kong, and more recently for his work in Mainland China!

Hawick Lau was born on October 13, 1974, in Hong Kong. He is well-known for being the only son of renowned Hong Kong actor Lau Dan.

Image: TVB

Unlike his now ex-wife Yang Mi, Hawick Lau’s interest in acting started later in life as he first focused on his architecture studies in Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.

Image: TVB

However, Hawick Lau shifted gears and ventured into acting in 1995 where he co-starred with his father, Lau Dan. The two played a fictional father and son in ‘A Kindred Spirit’ together and soon, Hawick Lau too followed in his father’s footsteps to pursue acting fully!

Image: TVB

Hawick Lau’s interest and talent in acting possibly rivalled that of his famous father as he soon was named one of TVB’s new ‘5 Fresh Tigers’ which symbolised how successful and talented of an actor in Hong Kong he had become.

Having already established a firm hold in the acting industry in Hong Kong, Hawick Lau decided to branch out further and expand his career in Mainland China. He starred in a number of popular Chinese dramas, gaining widespread recognition.

Working in Mainland China was likely fate for Hawick Lau because it advanced his career and led to him meeting and falling in love with Yang Mi. The two announced their relationship in 2012 and eventually wed in a small ceremony on Bali, Indonesia on January 8, 2014.

Image: Kukan

In June of 2014, Yang Mi and Hawick Lau became parents to their daughter, Noemie Lau.

Image: Kukan

Despite what many thought was a happy marriage, in December 2018, Yang Mi and Hawick Lau suddenly announced their divorce, shocking fans.

Image: Jiangsu TV

To this day, neither Yang Mi nor Hawick Lau have issued statements to the press regarding the split. Since then, according to a report on 8days, this has led to internet users speculating that the couple's split was the result of infidelity or neglect on either spouse's part.

Image: Kukan

According to Today Online, Yang Mi has come under fire since the divorce for allegedly neglecting her daughter, who lives with Hawick Lau in Hong Kong, accusing Yang Mi of being absent from her daughter's life.

Despite the rumours, Lau Dan defended Yang Mi in an interview with 8days, stating that she is a good mother who deeply cares for her daughter and that the two frequently have video calls together despite her inability to physically be with her daughter due to work obligations.

Now in 2023, both Yang Mi and Hawick Lau have moved on from each other professionally and romantically. Despite their divorce, they remain among the top actors in China's entertainment industry.

Image: Kukan