Singer Ronald Cheng to leave showbiz, reveals he's suffering from depression and alcoholism

Hong Kong singer-actor Ronald Cheng has disclosed that he suffers from depression and alcoholism. This was after his recent announcement that he would leave the entertainment industry over health issues.

The Cantopop star has been in the news since Aug 3, when he announced on social media that he would be taking a break after his concerts in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in late September.

The 52-year-old raised more questions with his subsequent post that he would be cutting ties with his agency, citing issues with his manager Ho Hing Sheung's work and ethical conduct.

Cheng took to Facebook on Aug 6 to elaborate on his personal issues.

He is famous for ballads such as Your Eyes Betray Your Heart (1996) and Never Say! Love You (1997). He also won Best Supporting Actor at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards in 2012 and the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2013 for his role as an unconventional film investor in the adult comedy Vulgaria (2012).

"On the surface, everyone sees me as the wacky guy who makes movies, produces videos for my online channel and holds concerts," he wrote in Chinese on Aug 6.

"In fact, over the years, I have been an immature person who does not know how to face pressure."

He said he quit drinking after he was involved in 2000 in a drunken rampage on a flight from Los Angeles to Taipei, where he physically abused crew members.

"Then, unknown to the public, I went through an unhappy marriage which was short-lived and which caused me to reflect on my problems," he wrote, referring to his marriage to  Hong Kong-Canadian singer-actress Charlene Choi, 41.

They met on the set of the 2004 movie Hidden Heroes and held their wedding in Los Angeles in 2006. They kept their marriage under wraps until they announced their split in 2010.

"It was not until I met my (current) wife Sammie Yu that I felt I was about to enter another phase of my life. I was very happy as we started a family together with two children," he wrote.

Cheng married the Hong Kong former TV news anchor in 2011, and they have a daughter, 13, and son, nine.

"However, it turned out that my personal issues were not resolved thoroughly when I was faced with stress, work and interactions with people," he wrote.

"I was unable to communicate well, and I was unable to handles issues well, which disappointed my family."

At the suggestion of friends, he consulted a doctor and was found to be suffering from depression. He was prescribed medication.

"However, I made another wrong decision by returning to drinking to escape from reality, as my wife told me I was fooling myself," he wrote.

He said he realised he could not ignore his personal issues any longer and spent the last few days in self-reflection.

"My busy work schedule is not an excuse, and I have to learn how to communicate if I don't know how to do so," he wrote. "I feel that I have let down my family, especially my wife and children. I am sorry."

He added: "I will use time and actions to prove my determination to be a good husband, father and person."

He said Yu will accompany him to the US to receive treatment at an alcohol rehabilitation centre after he resolves his company issues and completes his work.

"I am over 50 and I have to figure out how to face myself before I can face everyone else," he wrote. "I hope to be a better version of myself when I return to Hong Kong."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.