Chen Hanwei, 56, says mum told him he was adopted when he was 40, was worried he wouldn't want her anymore

Veteran local actor Chen Hanwei shared on a livestream how he found out that he was adopted.

The 56-year-old actor, a Singapore Permanent Resident, talked about how he was first alerted to the possibility that he was adopted via a phone call in his twenties, AsiaOne reported, citing his livestream.

“The woman on the line asked if I am Chen Hanwei.” He said.

After confirming his identity, the woman claimed that he was not his parents' biological child, and she instructed him to check his real identity.

The woman then hung up.

While initially sceptical, Chen decided to clarify with his parents.

Clarification

Chen subsequently asked his father about the location of his birth.

While his father told him it was at the hospital, his mum said he was born at home, Chen said.

This caused him to suspect that he was adopted, and he believed the woman.

However, Chen decided not to pursue the truth from his parents as he felt it “didn’t matter”.

Revelation

Chen’s mother eventually revealed his adoption to him when he was 40.

The actor believed that this was due to the spread of rumours surrounding his parentage, and his parents eventually hearing about it.

"My mum cried as she told me I was adopted," Chen said, tearing up, pausing his livestream for a moment.

Chen told his mother that he always knew, but wondered why she had only decided to reveal it later on.

The actor said she was afraid he wouldn't want her anymore after he knew the truth.

The actor then said that even if his birth parents come looking for him one day, he would "greet them politely, but my adoptive parents are the most important people in my life."

Chen claimed that due to this revelation, his relationship with his parents improved as he believed his adoptive parents were better than his biological ones.

His mother would pass away in 2024 at the age of 90.

He then proceeded to encourage viewers to cherish their parents.

According to a report in 2009, Chen’s biological mother was reportedly a hawker who gave him up for adoption due to financial circumstances.