In response to rumors circulating in Hong Kong media about her being in critical condition with suspected amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), popular TVB actress Chung Lai-Kei released a bilingual statement on her Instagram on the evening of September 11. In the statement, she acknowledged facing health issues and a challenging period in her life but earnestly requested the media not to speculate on her condition. However, the statement did not confirm or disclose specific reasons for her illness.
At 49 years old, Chung Lai-Kei recently appeared at a close friend’s birthday party, where observers noted her extremely thin figure, stiff facial muscles, a mismatch in the size of her facial features, and unnatural mouth expressions. Subsequent reports and eyewitnesses indicated that Chung Lai-Kei’s condition deteriorated, leading to her admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Chinese University Hospital.
Given that Chung Lai-Kei’s mother fought ALS for a decade before passing away and her brother succumbed to a rare illness involving rapid muscle atrophy at the age of 19, speculations about hereditary diseases arose following her hospitalization due to the family’s history of rare diseases.
While Chung Lai-Kei’s statement on the evening of September 11 did not reveal the specific cause of her illness, she confirmed that she is going through a “difficult period” in life, experiencing health issues that require her to focus on self-care. She appealed to the public to respect her privacy and refrain from speculating on her condition.
According to TVB entertainment news, Chung Lai-Kei’s foreign husband simply mentioned “she’s fine, OK” while answering a phone call and then hung up. Her close friend, Leung Ching-Kee, has been diligently caring for Chung Lai-Kei at the hospital and only responded with “OK, doing well” when approached by the media, without disclosing specific details about the illness. Prior to reports of Chung Lai-Kei being in the ICU, her friend Charmaine Sheh explained that Chung Lai-Kei was simply “suffering from flu discomfort” and in the process of recovery.
A large number of netizens have been expressing their support and well-wishes for Chung Lai-Kei, hoping for her speedy recovery.