Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh recently shared an intimate and emotional reflection on her experience with not having children, admitting that there was a time in her life when she "felt like such a failure" for not becoming a mother.

In an honest conversation on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Yeoh discussed her desire for a family, explaining that her first marriage to businessman Sir Dickson Poon was partly driven by the hope of starting a family together. 

Yeoh revealed that she and Poon had tried fertility treatments, but they were unsuccessful. "Every month you feel like such a failure," she said, recalling the emotional toll of those attempts. "And then you go, why? And I think at some point you stop blaming yourself."

Despite the disappointment, Yeoh emphasized that she eventually stopped blaming her body and accepted that certain things were beyond her control. "You just have to let go and move on," she said. "And I think you come to a point where you have to stop blaming yourself."

The actress, now 62, has had a successful career spanning iconic films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, Crazy Rich Asians, and the critically acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned her an Academy Award. But when it comes to her personal life, the topic of children remained something that she has had to reconcile with over the years.

Reflecting on her journey, Yeoh said it took a long time to come to terms with the fact that motherhood would not be a part of her life. "Sometimes, honestly, I still think about it," she confessed. 

"I'm 62. Of course, I'm not going to have a baby right now, but the thing is we just had a grandchild. Then you feel you're still very, very blessed because you do have a baby in your life."

Although Yeoh has no children of her own, she finds joy and fulfillment in other aspects of family life. She is a proud stepmother to her husband Jean Todt’s son, and she cherishes her godchildren, nieces, and nephews. 

"You just have to understand, these are conversations that you really have to have with yourself," Yeoh said, touching on the difficult conversations she had with her first husband about family. "We love each other very much now, but in 10 years or 20 years, I still can't give him the family that he craves for."

Her first marriage ended in 1992, but Yeoh believes the decision to part ways was ultimately an act of bravery. "It was very brave on our part to admit, to say, 'OK, let's not drag this out,'" she explained, acknowledging that they had tried everything they could.

Now, remarried to French motor racing executive Jean Todt in 2023, Yeoh continues to enjoy a deep connection with Todt’s family. This past January, Todt's son and his wife had a baby, giving Yeoh a sense of family through her new grandchild.