Wang Yu, 70, splits with girlfriend, 30

Taipei - Actor Jimmy Wang Yu, 70, says he has split up with his 30-year-old girlfriend after her mother objected to their marriage plans.

The 1960s Shaw superstar told Hitoradio that he struck up the romance with a mainland Chinese customs officer in May and that it lasted four months, reported China Times on Monday.

"She's a loyal fan of mine. She's seen all my films," he said. A devoted boyfriend, he followed her to Hangzhou, China, when she worked there and they would take romantic walks by the West Lake, he added.

They intended to marry, but her mother was strongly opposed to the idea because of the large age gap. Wang said he had no choice but to break up with his girlfriend because he understood her mother's objection. "If my daughter dated someone 40 years older than her, I wouldn't like it either."

The actor has three daughters, including Cantopop singer Linda Wong, from his marriage to actress Jeanette Lin Tsui, which ended in divorce in 1975.

His marriage to former flight attendant Wang Kai-chen also broke up after he caught her and her lover with their pants down in 1999.

The star, who had a stroke two years ago, has returned to acting in films such as last year's action movie The Guillotines. He is in the running for Best Actor for horror film Soul at next month's Golden Horse Awards.

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