What was meant to be a simple family outing to the movies has turned into one of Hong Kong's most talked-about celebrity parenting controversies.

Former Miss Hong Kong winner Grace Chan, 35, has confirmed that her family filed a police report after one of her sons allegedly had cream poured over his head following a screening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Pacific Place in Admiralty.

Grace and former TVB actor Kevin Cheng, 56, are parents to three sons — Rafael, Yannick and Carlos, aged seven, five and three.

The controversy first erupted after a moviegoer accused Grace's children of talking loudly, laughing and screaming throughout the film.

The person claimed members of the audience repeatedly shushed one of the boys and even asked him to keep quiet, describing the experience as "miserable".

As the story spread online, however, a different version of events began to emerge.

Other cinemagoers alleged that the incident had been exaggerated. Some also claimed that after the movie ended, someone who was unhappy with the boy's behaviour poured cream over his head, turning what began as a debate over cinema etiquette into something far more serious.

Speaking to HK01 during a programme recording on August 4, Grace addressed the controversy publicly for the first time.

Rather than dismissing the complaints, she acknowledged there was room for self-reflection.

"If it really happened, then I also need to do better as a parent and remind my children how they should behave when we're out in public," she said.

At the same time, Grace said no one had approached her family directly during the movie to raise any concerns.

She also pointed out that young children can naturally become excited during action-packed films.

"I believe it's normal for young children to go 'wow' during thrilling moments. But if we really disturbed others, we'll definitely pay more attention to our volume in future,” she said.

While Grace accepted that there was room for improvement, she stressed that no child deserved to be treated in such a manner.

Asked about reports that cream had been poured over her son's head, Grace confirmed for the first time that the family had lodged a police report.

She explained that she had initially chosen not to comment because the incident involved a child and was being handled by the authorities.

"The most important thing was getting my child home safely. After that, I immediately dealt with the matter,” she said.

Grace added that she now hopes the matter can be resolved through the proper legal process.

Although much of the public discussion has centred on cinema etiquette and parenting, Grace said her greatest concern has always been her son.

She shared that he has since calmed down and understands what happened.

Even so, she admitted she still blames herself.

"As a mum, I blame myself for not being able to protect my child immediately. I do feel that I failed him in that moment,” she said.

Grace also appealed to the public not to lose sight of the fact that the incident involved a young child.

"Attacking a child causes tremendous harm. If possible, I hope people won't keep dwelling on this incident,” she said.

She ended with a heartfelt plea:

"I hope everyone can be a little kinder to children. They're still so young. Whether they did something wrong or not, there's always room for improvement. We'll work on it. Please give us that chance."

Photos: HK01, grace.chan/IG