Jackie Chan, who was named as an anti-drug ambassador by Beijing in 2009, spoke out today about his 31-year-old son’s recent arrest for marijuana.
“The recent news about my son, Jaycee, is very shocking and the impact it has caused on society is heartbreaking. When I first heard the news, I was absolutely enraged,” Jackie said on his blog. “As a public figure, I feel very ashamed; as his dad, I’m very sad and disappointed.”
Jaycee Chan was busted in Beijing last Thursday as part of China’s biggest drug crackdown in two decades. According to local media reports, Jaycee — who is pretty well-known in Asia — was detained after testing positive for marijuana and for having 3.53 ounces of it at his home.
Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed at the start of summer to wipe out illegal drugs and severely punish any offenders. Jaycee is accused of aiding and abetting others, which makes him eligible for a maximum three years in prison.
Jackie said he hopes the younger generation will learn from his son’s mistakes.
“I would like to take this opportunity and say to Jaycee: you’ve done something wrong and you have to be responsible for the consequences,” he added. “I’m your dad and I’ll always be with you. We will face the road ahead of us together. I should also take some of this responsibility because as his dad, I didn’t teach him well.”
