In 2025, news broke out regarding the martial arts star Jet Li, who was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in his early years. On August 17, he posted a photo on Weibo lying on a hospital bed, admitting that he had “recently experienced another unexpected trial”. He shared a picture of himself undergoing surgery, captioning it as “Some hardware issues, need some maintenance.” This once again caused fans to worry about his health.
At the age of 62, Jet Li’s post of him lying on a hospital bed sparked discussions. In the photo, he frowned while lying in the hospital bed with medical monitoring equipment connected beside him, showing data such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels on the screen. There were also intravenous fluids and tubes by the bed. In a video of him being wheeled into the operating room, he could be seen saying “Amitabha” towards the camera.
Although Jet Li did not disclose the specific cause of his illness, his close friend and actress Nina Li Chi revealed to the media that it was “just a small benign tumor, once removed, all will be fine! Thank you for your concern.”
A day later, Jet Li reassured his fans on Weibo: “Thank you once again for your concern and blessings, making everyone worry. I’m out of the factory now, going to enjoy some good food, perhaps some hand-pulled noodles, so fragrant!” He also reminded netizens to eat well.
Jet Li rose to fame in 1982 with the martial arts film “The Shaolin Temple” and portrayed various characters such as Huo Yuanjia, Linghu Chong, and Wong Fei-hung. He ventured into Hollywood in 1997 and appeared in several films. Due to his martial arts background and the injuries he sustained from his younger days of martial arts films, Jet Li, who was seen with a head full of white hair in late 2016, visited temples and recited Buddhist scriptures in a photo.
According to previous reports, Jet Li had made arrangements with his wife Nina Li Chi in 2023, stating that he does not want a tombstone or funeral ceremony, and options such as tree burial or sea burial were all equally acceptable. He believed that rituals are for the living, emphasizing the importance of honesty and communication during one’s lifetime. Instead of leaving regrets when unable to speak, he preferred to express everything while still capable of doing so.
Of interest lately is the investigation involving Abbot Shi Yongxin of the Shaolin Temple. The official website of Shaolin Temple stated that Abbot Shi Yongxin was under investigation for embezzlement of funds, misappropriation of temple assets, violating Buddhist precepts, engaging in inappropriate relationships with multiple women, and having illegitimate children. He is currently under a joint investigation by multiple departments.
Netizens dug up a 2010 interview with Jet Li where he mentioned the Shaolin Temple. He disclosed on CCTV’s program “Golden Years” that during the filming of the movie “The Shaolin Temple”, “there were very few real monks in the Shaolin Temple, and hardly any of them had martial arts skills.”
Jet Li expressed regret over his role in “The Shaolin Temple” which led to many young people idolizing the character he played as “Jueyuan Monk”, prompting them to shave their heads and learn martial arts in a frenzy without understanding the true essence of martial arts. Some even got addicted to fighting, becoming street thugs, which made him ponder about whether filming that movie was right or wrong. This video once again sparked discussions.