Vietnamese-American actor Quang Minh and his third child Dustin. Photo courtesy of Minh |
"My fatherhood has become a subject for dissection and ridicule," he said.
According to Minh, many of his public statements have been manipulated and taken out of context, with critics even dredging up issues from past relationships.
"This is the first time I’ve felt such a crisis, though I’ve done nothing wrong," he stated.
Minh’s girlfriend Tang Khanh Chi gave birth to their child Dustin on Nov. 6. Minh has two other children from his previous marriage to Vietnamese-American actress Hong Dao.
The actor noted that his life before Dustin’s birth was less turbulent and more stable, making the current wave of negative comments particularly shocking and distressing. As a result, he has limited his Facebook use to escape the harsh feedback.
Despite his troubles, Minh has tried to maintain a calm demeanor to prevent Chi from worrying. He has gradually stabilized, finding comfort in the support of close friends and positive messages from fans who admire Dustin’s resemblance to him.
Minh shared that initially, he wanted to wait until Dustin was older before making the news public to protect his son, but the joy his son brought him changed his mind. He said that seeing the kid’s smile convinced him not to hide his joy, expressing hope that Dustin would grow up to be proud of his father.
The actor said he had to relearn fatherhood skills with a newborn. Since Chi is recovering from a cesarean section and has been advised to limit physical activity, Minh has taken over most of the child care tasks, from changing diapers to bathing Dustin, with the help of his girlfriend’s mother. Minh also mentioned that he sought advice from nurses and experienced acquaintances on infant care and learned how to massage a newborn.
Since the arrival of his son, Minh’s daily routine has been upended, with the actor getting only a few hours of sleep per night. At times, he had to wake up at midnight to change Dustin’s diapers. However, as Dustin has begun to sleep better and cry less, Minh has managed to find some rest. Reflecting on his past experience as a father, Minh said: "Back when I was caring for my two daughters - Vicky and Sophia, I also liked to do everything for them, no matter how tired I was."
Currently, Minh has paused all his professional commitments to focus on his family. The actor mentioned that he had to decline recent offers from many directors because he couldn’t arrange the time.
However, he acknowledges the financial pressures and is planning to resume his career early next year to take on film projects and commercials to secure a stable future for his son.
Minh began his acting career in the late 1980s and moved to the U.S. around 1990 to pursue further opportunities in acting and voice-over work. He and Dao were once a celebrated comedy duo overseas before their divorce in 2019.