Zing-Ci Leung, also written Leung Zing Ci, is a former advertising executive known as Donnie Yen’s first wife. The pair married in 1993 and divorced less than a year later. They have one son, Jeff Yen, who was born in 1995. She has lived a much quieter life than the Hong Kong action star.
The marriage took place before Yen became a global name through the Ip Man films and major Hollywood roles. Their son has since appeared with his father in family photos, even as Leung has stayed away from the usual celebrity spotlight.
In this article, you will learn about Leung’s advertising work, her marriage and divorce, son Jeff, and the wider Yen family, along with the key events that shaped the public timeline.
Who Is Zing-Ci Leung?
Zing-Ci Leung is the first wife of Donnie Yen, the actor and martial artist known for action films in Hong Kong, China, and Hollywood.
She has also been identified as Leung Zing Ci in news reports. The different order of her name reflects the way Chinese names are written and rendered in English.
Before her marriage, she worked as an advertising executive in Hong Kong. This was a business career, not a role in the film industry.
Her name became known to film fans after she married Yen. Yet she was not a movie star or a regular guest at public events.
Her Work in Advertising
News coverage of the Yen family identifies Leung as a former Hong Kong advertising executive. The role places her in the city’s media and business world in the early 1990s.
Advertising work can include planning, client service, and brand campaigns. A job title alone does not prove which part of that work she handled each day.
Hong Kong was a busy center for both commerce and film during those years. Yen’s action career and Leung’s business career took place in the same city but in different fields.
Later articles about her focus far more on her marriage than her work. There is no widely reported list of agencies, clients, or campaigns that can be tied to her with confidence.
That early career still matters because it shows her life did not begin with becoming a famous actor’s wife.
How She Met Donnie Yen
Reports about the couple say Leung met Yen around 1990. He was still building a career in Hong Kong action cinema.
His early films included Tiger Cage and Once Upon a Time in China II. These roles gave him a chance to show his speed, timing, and skill in martial arts.
Yen had trained in martial arts before his film career and worked with top action directors. His career grew from fight scenes into larger screen roles.
The couple’s early courtship did not take place under the sort of global attention that later followed the actor. Film fans knew his work, but he had not yet made the Ip Man series.
Leung was known to him as a partner during this period of growth, well before his later success in the United States.
A Private Marriage in 1993
Wedding in the United States
The couple married in the United States in November 1993, according to later coverage of Yen’s first family. Reports describe the wedding as quiet and away from large public events.
It was his first marriage. The ceremony took place while Yen continued to work on action films and other projects in Hong Kong.
Yen’s first marriage was far less public than his later wedding to Cissy Wang. The first couple did not build a shared public brand around the relationship.
That difference can make the older marriage seem less clear in search results. The main facts still give a useful timeline: the wedding came in 1993 and the separation followed the next year.
How long did they stay together?
The marriage lasted less than a year. Leung and Yen separated in 1994, and the relationship ended in divorce.
Major news reports do not offer a detailed statement from both former spouses about why the marriage broke down.
A short marriage can become part of a celebrity biography without making either person’s private choices public. The dates and the fact of the divorce are what can be stated clearly.
The next key part of their shared history came after they had parted. Leung became the mother of their son, Jeff.
Son Jeff Yen and His Early Life
Jeff Yen was born in 1995. He is Donnie Yen’s eldest child and Leung’s son from their short marriage.
Jeff’s childhood was largely outside the spotlight. His mother was not a film star, and he did not grow up with a public acting career of his own.
Family news about Jeff has often focused on his father, not on any job or celebrity role held by Jeff. This is why he may appear in press photos even though his own work is not widely covered.
In 2019, Jeff completed university studies in Hong Kong. News reports discussed the graduation and showed images of him with family.
Education was a clear public milestone in his life. It was not proof that he planned to join the film industry or follow his father’s martial arts path.
The 2019 Graduation Coverage
In June 2019, entertainment reports covered Jeff’s graduation and questions about whether his father attended the event.
Yen’s wife, Cissy Wang, said the actor was working and could not go to the ceremony. She also said the family had celebrated with Jeff ahead of time.
The report included details of Jeff’s bond with his father’s later family. It described family occasions where Jeff joined the rest of the household.
That is useful context for the first marriage. A divorce did not end the father-and-son relationship, and the family kept ties across households.
Leung herself was not at the center of the public dispute. The focus of that news was an adult son’s graduation and his father’s work schedule.
Donnie Yen’s Marriage to Cissy Wang
A new marriage in 2003
Yen met Cissy Wang, a former beauty queen, in 2003. They wed that year, nearly a decade after the first marriage ended.
Wang later became part of his work life as well. She has helped with projects and public events linked to his career.
The couple has two children together, Jasmine and James. This makes Jeff the older half brother of the children from Yen’s second marriage.
Yen’s later family has appeared at film events and in photos shared with fans. These appearances do not change the fact that Jeff’s mother is Leung.
Jasmine and James Yen
Jasmine has pursued music and has shared songs and live performances. James has also been seen with the family at public events.
Those activities have brought fans new questions about the family tree. The key point is that Yen has three children across his two marriages.
Jeff is the eldest son from the first marriage. Jasmine and James are the children of Yen and Wang.
Knowing who belongs to which marriage helps clear up common search questions without mixing up the mothers or the children’s careers.
Jeff Yen’s Birthday Photos in 2025
In April 2025, Donnie Yen shared birthday photos with his son Jeff and wife Cissy Wang. The posts gave fans a public view of the family connection.
Reports noted that Yen posed with Jeff and then with Wang around the same period. One image showed him in the same outfit at both celebrations.
Yen’s birthday photos with Jeff and Cissy Wang drew new coverage of his first marriage and eldest son.
The photos showed the father and son together. They did not offer an interview with Leung or a new account of her daily life.
The event is still a useful recent point in the family timeline, as Jeff was about 30 years old in 2025.
Why Donnie Yen’s Film Fame Reached More People
Yen worked in Hong Kong cinema for many years before global audiences came to know him. His roles combined fast fight scenes, stunt work, and strong screen presence.
The Ip Man films brought him a major new audience. He played the martial arts teacher known for Wing Chun, and the films became popular beyond Asia.
He later appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and John Wick: Chapter 4. Those films reached viewers who may never have watched his early Hong Kong roles.
As his fame grew, people became curious about his first marriage. That interest explains why Leung’s name still appears in search results decades after their divorce.
Her own public life, however, has not followed the same path as his screen career.
Where Zing-Ci Leung Stands in the Family Story
Leung is known through three main public facts: her advertising work, her marriage to Yen, and their son Jeff.
Her name comes up when people look into the actor’s early life and the difference between his first and second families.
The 2019 graduation story and the 2025 birthday images give later milestones involving Jeff. Neither event creates a new career or personal announcement for his mother.
She has kept her life outside the kind of interviews and social media activity that made Yen a familiar name around the world.
Final Thoughts
Zing-Ci Leung was Donnie Yen’s first wife. She worked in advertising in Hong Kong, married the actor in 1993, and gave birth to their son Jeff in 1995 after the couple had parted.
Today, her main public link to the family is through Jeff, who has appeared in photos and family news with his father. Leung’s own story has stayed much more private than that of the film star.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zing-Ci Leung?
She is a former advertising executive best known as Donnie Yen’s first wife and the mother of his eldest son, Jeff Yen.
When did Zing-Ci Leung marry Donnie Yen?
The couple married in November 1993 in the United States and separated in 1994.
Does Zing-Ci Leung have a child with Donnie Yen?
Yes. Their son Jeff Yen was born in 1995.
Is Jeff Yen related to Jasmine and James Yen?
Yes. Jeff is their older half brother. Jasmine and James are the children of Donnie Yen and Cissy Wang.
Did Jeff Yen appear with his father in 2025?
Yes. Donnie Yen shared birthday photos with Jeff in April 2025.
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