Actor Nicholas Tse confirmed Sunday that there are problems in his marriage with fellow entertainer Cecilia Cheung, and said he doesn't know "what the next step is."
Speculation about the Hong Kong film industry power couple has dominated headlines in the Chinese entertainment press in recent weeks.
News of the troubled marriage surfaced after Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper reported last month that Cheung had reconciled with Canadian-Chinese singer Edison Chen. Chen fell from grace after racy photos of him and eight female stars, including Cheung, were leaked onto the Internet in 2008.
"My marriage has certain problems," Tse said at a press conference in Beijing to promote his upcoming movie "Treasure Inn."
"I don't know what the next step is," the 30-year-old said. He added, "No matter the state of our relationship, we will provide a stable environment for our children."
The couple have two toddler sons, Lucas and Quintus.
There was no immediate comment from Cheung.
Tse, the son of veteran actor Patrick Tse and actress Deborah Lee, made his debut as a pop singer in 1997. His career was briefly sidelined by criminal charges after a driver took the fall for a 2002 car accident he was involved in, which led to a community service sentence for obstruction of justice.
Tse has made a comeback with a recent string of critically acclaimed acting performances. He took home the best actor trophy at the Hong Kong Film Awards in April for his role as a reluctant police informant in "The Stool Pigeon," beating veterans Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Nick Cheung.
Cecilia Cheung first appeared in the 1999 Stephen Chow picture "The King of Comedy" and went on to build an impressive acting resume that included a best actress win at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her starring role in the 2003 romance "Lost in Time." She took a five-year break after marrying Tse in 2006 but returned to the big screen earlier this year with the comedy release, "All's Well Ends Well 2011."
Both Tse and Cheung appeared in Chinese director Chen Kaige's 2005 fantasy epic "The Promise."