For sure, God still has a purpose for Jet Li

Until he broke his silence, Jet Li had his fans around the world deathly worried about his health after a “shocking photo” showing him gaunt and like an “80-year-old” went viral.

In a story published on the front page of The STAR last Saturday, Jet Li Lianjie (as he was identified in the story) took to Facebook to allay fears of his fans that he was in ill health. According to a report in The South China Morning Post, Jet was suffering from hyperthyroidism and spinal problems. The photos were taken when Jet, 55, recently visited a temple in Chengdu and not in Tibet as widely reported.

As fans prayed for his speedy recovery, Jet revealed that somebody had offered him a magic potion to cure his ills and give him a long life and at the same time assured fans that he was “doing great” and “feeling great,” accompanied with a photo of him with a monk.

I know for a fact that hyperthyroidism (that makes a sufferer lose excessive weight, in contrast to hypothyroidism that makes a sufferer gain excess weight like some celebrities that we know) is treated with nuclear medicine. My friend and a few cousins recovered from the illness, thanks to Dr. Emerita Barrenechea who specializes in the treatment. (She has a clinic at St. Luke’s Medical Center on E. Rodriguez Avenue and at the Veterans Memorial Hospital, Quezon City.)

Jet Li in a STAR feature in 2006, two years after he and his family survived the killer tsunami while vacationing in Maldives.

I’m sure that Jet will recover in God’s good time as he did back in 2004 when he and his family were swamped by a killer tsunami while relaxing on a beach in Maldives, sending scores missing in several countries (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.) and killing more than 250,000 people.

“It opened my eyes,” Jet told The STAR in an exclusive interview in Taipei two years after that tragedy in connection with his movie aptly titled Fearless. “It showed me how much people care for me. I could have died in that incident but God, I think, let me live because He has a purpose for me. You can have money, power and popularity but what’s the use if you don’t have life? I have life and I’m thankful. Now, I want to help other people. That’s part of my life now. I have put up a foundation to help other people.”

Asked if he believed in the afterlife, Jet said, “Yes, I believe in the afterlife. That’s why while we are here on earth, we should love each other.”

As a martial artist, Jet added that he had to be disciplined.

“I focus on good things. Martial arts has taught me that people have two parts — body and mind — and you have to take good care of both. If you only have a strong body but not a good mind, that’s bad. There should be a balance between body and mind.”

And he added that he takes care of his body with the right diet and exercise. What about his mind?

“I’m a Buddhist. I understand more about life. I can control myself. Life is like a movie. It has a script. You control your life in the same way that the writer controls the script. It’s up to you to make your body healthy, and to also keep your mind healthy.”

It’s very obvious how religious Jet is.

“Yes, I am,” he said. “Every religion is good. Every religion teaches people to be good and peaceful, how to care for other people. We have to help one another regardless of what religion we belong to.”

For sure, God still has a purpose for Jet Li. Sooner than later, he will regain his health.

In the South China Morning Post report, he was quoted as saying, “I’m doing great and feeling great,” adding, “I’m excited to share with you a few projects I am working on in the near future. For now, thank you all for your concern.”

Social media newsmakers

Here’s a quick look at the week’s social-media newsmakers:

JM de Guzman: Father knows best, doesn’t he?

• Still not fully recovered from drug addiction that has landed him twice in rehab, JM de Guzman was perceived to have sided with his friends whom his father, Bulletin reporter Ronniel de Guzman, suspected to be BI (Bad Influence) after a photo of JM with friends “drinking” went viral. Like any father, Ronniel is after the welfare of his son, especially since JM is forbidden from “drinking” and is closely monitored by the rehab authorities.

“JM is emotionally weak,” said somebody close to the family. “His waterloo is women. Di ba he got depressed when he broke up with Jessy Mendiola and that led him to take drugs?”

Back with a vengeance and doing well on the Kapamilya soap Araw Gabi, JM should take extra effort to avoid backsliding.

Before the father-son social-media “feud” worsened, JM confessed in a post, “I sincerely apologize. I WAS WRONG. Sorry for hurting your feelings. I’m really sorry dad. I love you @ronnieldeguzmanI.”

Director Mike de Leon and Atom Araullo on the set of Citizen Jake: Why did the promising partnership go wrong?

• While JM and dad Ronniel have buried the hatchet, Mike de Leon and his protégé Atom Araullo have not. After working on Citizen Jake (still showing in several theaters…go, catch it, fast!), Mike called Atom a “closet movie star” (Ouch!!!), expressing disappointment after he realized “that Atom’s journalism was not exactly the kind of journalism I had in mind. It’s not the gritty kind but more of the celebrity-centered schlock that sometimes verges on entertainment, even showbiz…Even if Citizen Jake is my most personal film, sometimes I feel that it’s a film Atom and myself made together through thick and thin, through upheaval after upheaval and unfortunately there were many. But I hoped that in the end, we would still share the same convictions we started off with. Alas, that was not to be…”

Atom has remained mum up to now. Contacted by Funfare for comment, his manager Noel Ferrer simply said, “Atom is now in Indo-China for a coverage. He will be back June 3 or 4.”

Incidentally, could it be true that Atom will soon have a new show called The Atom Araullo Show? Wow, isn’t GMA pampering Atom to the point of making homegrown talents who have been at the network (much longer than Atom has been) quietly jealous and “bypassed?” Oh well, some are lucky and some are simply, ehem, “ignored.”

Rich Asuncion and brand-new husband Benj Mudie during their simple, quiet wedding in Hong Kong — Photo from Rich’s Instagram

• Best wishes to Rich Asuncion and her Australian sweetheart, Philippine Volcanoes member Benj Mudie, who have gotten married a few days ago in Hong Kong with only very close friends in attendance. Several years ago, my friends Raoul Tidalgo and Boy Echavez and I were telling Rich to try showbiz after she finished a runner-up in the Miss Bohol pageant. She was only 15 then. We cheered Rich (right on!) when she did join showbiz and, on the side, bagged first runner-up honors in the Bb. Pilipinas pageant and finished a course at UP. Through it all, Rich has remained grounded, neither “ashamed” of nor apologetic about her humble beginnings. The good news is that the newlyweds will be even happier six months from now (if you know what that means).

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)