Life was never the same for Gloria Yip (葉蘊儀) since her much-publicized divorce with ex-husband Chan Pak Ho (陳柏浩) in early 2001. Gloria, who was discovered by a Japanese talent scout when she was just a teenager, enjoyed fame as a popular film actress and singer in the early 1990s. Her artiste career had expanded to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, and she had released over fifteen singles and albums in Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and also Korean. She settled down with Hong Kong toy tycoon Chan Pak Ho in 1995 and chose to retire from the industry to enjoy marriage life. She had two kids with Chan, but in 1999, Chan’s extramarital affairs were exposed to the public, and there was proof of him visiting brothels. They called for a divorce in 2000, but Chan’s refusal to provide alimony for Gloria stirred the media, and the former couple had to battle in court. They finally parted ways in 2001, and Gloria earned full custody of their two children. During this time, she received the support from her good friend and mentor Eric Tsang (曾志偉). Eric attempted to pave a road for Gloria’s return to the Hong Kong film industry, but Gloria struggled to obtain significant film roles. With a low-paying job and two children to look after, she took up many behind-the-scenes production jobs. An insider said, “During those days, Gloria was willing to do anything for money, even demoting herself to work behind the scenes. It’s a good thing that she has a talent in embroidery and clay sculpting, so she later took advantage of that.” In 2008, Gloria graduated with a diploma at the Hong Kong Art School and received a master’s degree in fine arts at Australia’s RMIT University last year. Her sculptures have received critical acclaim, and she was the only Hong Kong representative to enter the top thirty at the Arte Laguna Prize, an Italian competition for visual art pieces. In 2012, Gloria opened up an art studio school with close friends in Tsim Sha Tsui. Gloria dated two times since her divorce with Chan in 2000. A source said, “Gloria had a lot of pursuers after her divorce. She once dated an office worker called Paul, and then dated a hairstylist called Daniel for a few years. However, because she has to take care of her kids and also busy with her jobs, she couldn’t commit to the relationships.” The source continued to say that Gloria has lost interest in finding a new relationship, and is instead focused on managing her art school and family. Creds: ihktv
