Did Gong Li's 71-year-old French husband just confirm the wedding rumours?

Was it a slip of the tongue or did French composer Jean-Michel Jarre confirm what inquisitive fans want to know?

It was rumoured that the 71-year-old tied the knot with Chinese-born Singaporean actress, Gong Li, in May this year.

The pair went public with their relationship in 2017.

During his recent appearance on a Chinese television show, he seemingly confirmed the rumours by not refuting a statement that the host made about the news of their marriage.

ALSO READ: Gong Li secretly marries 70-year-old French composer

The host was quizzing Jean-Michel on his "romantic journey" with Gong Li and how it came about.

However, she prefaced the question with a statement that he "married one of the most famous Chinese women in the world."

In response, Jean-Michel quipped: "Actually, I wondered lots of times why I was so linked to China and I decided to date (Gong Li)."

He went on to express his praise and admiration for 53-year-old Gong Li who he has known for a long time, and he neither confirmed nor denied the veracity of the statement.

He said: "Beyond her extraordinary talent, she is also a symbol of a modern Chinese woman."

Noting that China has always been connected with his life, Jean-Michel explained: "Now, China is in my heart from a musical point of view and a personal point of view."

Prior to her relationship with Jean-Michel, Gong Li was romantically involved with director Zhang Yimou for eight years. After that, she married Singapore businessman Ooi Hoe Seong for 13 years before they divorced in 2010.

As for Jean-Michel, he has been married three times and his longest was a 20-year marriage with English actress Charlotte Rampling.

If the happy couple have indeed tied the knot, then this would mark Jean-Michel's fourth marriage and Gong Li's second.

Of course, we hope it all works out.

bryanlim@asiaone.com