Casino heiress Laurinda Ho denies divorce rumors

Laurinda Ho (L), daughter of the late casino magnate Stanley Ho, and her husband, actor Shawn Dou. Photo from Laurinda Ho's Weibo

According to Sinchew, responding to reporters at a recent event in China, Laurinda denied any rift in her marriage. She stated that she and her husband communicate via phone calls or video calls daily and occasionally overcome geographical proximity to meet, just without taking photos together.

When asked about plans for children, the heiress said: "Both of us are busy, he’s filming and I’m working too."

"I currently have no plans for children," she added. "Let’s just let nature take its course."

Speculations of a rift between Laurinda and her husband intensified after an incident last October where Laurinda appeared reluctant to hold Dou’s hand.

The allegations were further fueled by reports suggesting that they had contemplated divorce, which allegedly upset Laurinda’s mother Ina Chan due to Dou’s behavior towards her daughter.

They were compounded when Laurinda attended musician Wilber Pan’s wedding in Bali last December and celebrated her mother’s birthday in Hong Kong last month without Dou.

Sources also reported that Dou did not attend the Ho family’s gathering at Stanley’s grave during this year’s Qingming Festival, a time when families traditionally visit the gravesites of their ancestors and departed relatives.

Observers suggest the couple’s challenges are primarily due to the limited time they can spend together post-marriage, a consequence of their professional commitments. Ho once mentioned on a television show that their careers have resulted in periods of separation exceeding a month.

Ho, 33, thrives as a socialite and businesswoman, with her mother Ina Chan’s fortune estimated by Forbes to be around US$1 billion.

Dou, 36, has made a significant impact in the acting world since his debut in Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s "Under the Hawthorn Tree," and has since appeared in several notable films, including "Dangerous Liaisons," "Time To Love," and "Princess Agents."

The couple held their multi-million-dollar nuptials in Bali in April last year.