Jackie Chan is no stranger to weaving cinematic tales from his real life. In one such story, Chan claimed that he was born after spending twelve months in his mother’s womb, an astonishing three months overdue. He has stuck to this claim over the years, even providing details such as his birth weight, a hefty 12.5 lbs heavy, and the story that his parents planned to sell him to cover medical expenses.
Jackie Chan was born in British Hong Kong to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan. His parents were political refugees from the Chinese Civil War, which plunged them into poverty when they first arrived in Hong Kong.
Jackie Chan Claimed That He Was Born After 12 Months of Pregnancy
Jackie Chan made the claim surrounding his birth very early in his career and confirmed it during an appearance on The Talk. When the hosts skeptically asked him about the story, Chan reiterated his claim that he was in his mother’s womb for 12 months. One of the hosts, Julie Chen Moonves, surprisingly asked him, “How is that even possible?”, to which the Police Story actor responded, “I don’t know.”
Moonves even playfully mimicked karate moves and asked whether he was learning karate in there. Chan revealed that after 12 months, doctors performed a C-section to deliver the baby. He further shared that he weighed 12.5 lbs at birth, remarking that he was a huge baby and was nicknamed ‘Cannon’. The Karate Kid actor also shared that his mom was okay after the overdue pregnancy.
The Kung Fu Yoga actor further maintained his claims in another appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show. While confirming that he was born after 12 months, the Armour of God actor also added that his parents considered selling him to a British doctor for $250 to pay their medical bills. Chan shared with Jonathan Ross:
“Because we was so poor when my parents cannot afford to pay the money. He want to sell it (baby Chan) to the British doctor for 250 dollars. And as soon as my father want to sell me, somehow my friends ‘No No No you’re the only child and you keep it’. But my father was lucky to keep me.”
During The Talk interview, his birth story was not the only interesting story that Chan shared. The Myth actor revealed that his father was a spy, a secret he didn’t know for a long time. It appears the real Jackie Chan is as cool as his reel version.
Is Jackie Chan’s Claim Of A 12-Month Pregnancy Believable?
As cool as the story may be, it is highly unlikely that Jackie Chan was born after 12 months of pregnancy, according to Dr. Joseph Sgroi. The Australian Women’s Media company, Mamamia, sought the opinion of the Melbourne-based obstetrician to further investigate Chan’s claims. While Dr. Sgroi did not outright dismiss Chan’s account, he gave a possible explanation for what might have happened. Dr. Sgroi told Mamamia:
“It’s highly unlikely that you would have a pregnancy that would go beyond 10 or 11 months. Highly unlikely. It may just be that his mum had irregular periods and she might have thought that she was three months more pregnant than that she actually was.”
The Accidental Spy actor’s ascend to stardom had nothing to do with him being born overdue or his father’s espionage career. Chan has made his mark as a lovable and funny action hero, through film series like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon. Notably, Rush Hour 4 is currently in production, with both Chan and Chris Tucker reprising their roles.
