Karena Lam, 44, announces split from director husband of 12 years

Taiwanese-Canadian actress Karena Lam, 44, and her Hong Kong director husband, Steve Yuen, 57, jointly announced their split in an Instagram post this morning (July 28).

The couple tied the knot in a private reception in 2010, when Karena was reportedly pregnant with their first daughter Kaya, who is now 13. Their younger daughter, Sofie, is 10.

“After twelve years of marriage, we have come to the loving conclusion that our marriage relationship has come to an end. We did not come to this decision lightly and are working together to get through this,” read their statement.

They then added that they will prioritise their children, and “will continue to work in partnership to raise them”, before asking for their privacy to be respected during this time.

Karena and Steve (far right) with their daughters

According to Hong Kong media, Karena and Steve’s split was due to their differences in personality.

While Karena was said to have “an artistic temperament”, her husband was described as “reserved, and the complete opposite of her”.

They reportedly had differences in views when it came to raising their children, and the time they spent together during the pandemic only served to provide grounds for more conflict.

The couple were also said to have arguments over financial issues, with Karena moving out of their home in Hong Kong to relocate to Canada with their two daughters.

Karena's IG story which led netizens to believe she had already moved out of her home with Steve

According to netizens, the last time Karena mentioned Steve on social media was over a year ago, leading them to believe that the couple has been separated for quite some time.

Their suspicions of her move to Canada were further confirmed when Karena shared an IG story of her breakfast earlier this year, with the caption: “The leftovers of my breakfast. It feels good [despite] not having a helper here. [I] have all the time in the world.”

Karena, who is the first person to have won Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best New Performer at the Golden Horse Awards, also wrote about how grateful she was to have time to spend with her daughters, and to do household chores.