Jaycee Chan, the son of Chinese actor Jackie Chan, has publicly apologized and asked the public to give him a second chance one day after he was released from jail after serving a six-month prison sentence for possession and use of marijuana.
In a news conference, the 32-year-old son of Jackie Chan said that he was rededicating himself to his family and his entertainment career, reports the Americus Times Recorder.
Jaycee explained that he has no excuse or no reason for his unworthy behaviour leading to his arrest in August last year along with Taiwanese actor Ko Kai, and several others at his apartment.
Upon their arrest, Chan and Ko tested positive for marijuana use. That’s in addition to the more than 100 grams of the substance found in Chan’s apartment by the apprehending authorities.
Changed outlook in life
He said that the jail time has helped him changed his outlook in life as well as his values. He also lauded the correction made on him by the Chinese justice system.
Jaycee Chan could have been sentence up to three years imprisonment but was shown leniency by the court for admitting that he was wrong and for seeking reprieve for his law-breaking ways.
His press conference was broadcast live on the Chinese state network CCTV, which indicates how serious the Chinese government is in its anti-drug crackdown.
China needed high-profile arrests in its campaign to set an example to the public and to show the Chinese public that the government is really serious on eradicating illegal drugs and apprehending illegal drug users in its country.
The arrest on Jaycee Chan, although not as popular as his father, is one good example because it means that the Chinese government is leaving no stones unturned with its campaign.
Jaycee was apprehended and sentenced to jail despite having his father Jackie Chan as the Chinese anti-drugs ambassador and deputy to the national legislature’s main consultative body.
Jackie Chan publicly apologized when his son was arrested in August.
Intensive anti-drugs campaign
The Chinese government has noted a 53 percent rise in drug investigations in the capital city of Beijing in the first half of last year which translates to about 1,800 cases.
Of these cases, more than 8,400 suspects have been apprehended and detained during the same period, which is an increase of 79 percent from the same period in 2013.
The figures prompted the Chinese government to intensify its anti-drugs campaign not only in the capital city but also in other cities and states in China.
Jaycee Chan is the son of Jackie Chan by former Taiwanese actress Li Feng-jiao. He grew up in Los Angeles and appeared in more than 20 films, mostly B-movies from Hong Kong and mainland China production companies.