Good things come in pairs: 2015 is shaping up to be an eventful year for Shaun Chen -- not only did he pick up his first acting award for his role in The Journey: Tumultuous Times at the Star Awards ceremony in April, he married his girlfriend in July and the couple are expecting their first child – a baby girl – due in December.
Shaun, who was never revealed to be in a relationship since his divorce four years ago, explained in a phone interview with Toggle that he decided to keep the news tightly under wraps to protect the identity and privacy of his then-girlfriend and wife, Celine.
Without going into too much details, Shaun shared that he and his wife, who is in her 20s, have known each other and dated for over a year and the pair registered their marriage in Malaysia in July this year.
The couple found out about the baby’s arrival in late March, before the Star Awards ceremony, but Shaun had to keep the news to himself as it was still “early stages” of the pregnancy.
Showbiz buddy Chen Hanwei too, only just learned of the news a few days ago. “He’s really happy for me of course because I finally have a family of my own,” he chuckled.
Shaun wants to protect his wife from unnecessary attention
His wife, a former beautician, is not familiar with show business, explained Shaun, “I want to protect her and I don’t want to change, inconvenience or create any disturbances in her life, which is why I do not wish to divulge too much information about this.
“I have no intentions to make a show out of my personal life, and I think it’s important to maintain some personal space.”
When asked if he has shared the good news with his former wife, Michelle Chia, Shaun declined to comment on the matter and hopes to focus the attention on the good news instead.
With his acting career on track, the dad-to-be quipped that the baby arrived at an opportune time for him and his then-girlfriend, when they were beginning to plan for their future.
“It has been a very good year… I feel that I’m ready for this and mentally prepared. I’ve always wanted to start a family of my own and have kids too, so I have finally gotten what I’ve always wanted and definitely look forward to this new phase of life,” he added.
Shaun is ready for fatherhood
Ready to take on diaper-changing and nightly feed duties, Shaun feels he is well-prepared for fatherhood as he has many nieces and nephews back at home. “I’m not worried about getting my hands dirty. In fact I’m more worried about how to bring my child over to Singapore and my family’s future.”
The 36-year-old has been shuttling to and fro Singapore for the past few months and will be in Malaysia in November to be with his wife who is due to give birth in early December.
“She’s currently in her hometown in Kedah and is being cared for by her family. She will deliver the baby and also do her confinement there,” he said. “I hope to bring both mother and child to Singapore when the baby is slightly bigger at three to four months old.”
Shaun shared that he will be based in Singapore and the actor already has two back-to-back dramas lined up for him in 2016 -- Jue Shi Hao Gong will begin production on December 18 while filming for another yet-to-be-named drama will take place from May to September next year, he shared.
According to Shaun, all is well at home and his unborn child is very healthy too. “I don’t ask for much – I just hope everything goes smoothly and for her to grow up healthily.”