Barbie Hsu dies aged 48, reportedly to be cremated in Japan

Taiwanese actress-host Barbie Hsu has died at the age of 48.

Her family confirmed the news today (Feb 3), adding the mother of two suffered from pneumonia caused by the flu during a family trip to Japan during the Chinese New Year period.

Her sister, singer-host Dee Hsu, told the media: "I am thankful to have been her sister in this life, and I will always be grateful to her and miss her. Barbie, rest in peace. I will always love you. Together remember forever."

The news was first revealed by a Facebook page named Japan Travel, Shopping and Food Information, which shared yesterday that a "big star in Taiwan" aged 48 had died after getting the flu.

According to Taiwanese reports, Barbie will be cremated in Japan as her entire family is currently there and her ashes brought back to Taiwan. A memorial would take place later.

Her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, is reportedly travelling from Thailand to Taiwan after hearing the news.

Barbie had son Hsi-lin, seven, and daughter Hsi-yueh, nine, with Xiaofei, whom she married in 2011 and divorced in 2021.

The following year, she tied the knot with her old flame South Korean singer-DJ Koo Jun-yup.

Jun-yup was a member of the South Korean dance music duo Clon which debuted in 1996 and was widely popular in South Korea and Taiwan.

According to media reports, Barbie and Jun-yup had met at Taiwanese singer Tarcy Su's concert and got together in 1998 after she pursued him.

They had reportedly dated in secret for a year before breaking up in 1999.

When they announced their marriage, Jun-yup shared that he had contacted Barbie after hearing news of her divorce with Xiaofei.

"We've lost too much time and we cannot waste any more of it, so I proposed to her. Barbie also finally accepted my proposal," he said then.

Barbie, who was in the pop duo Asos with 46-year-old Dee, is best known for her leading role in the hit 2001 drama Meteor Garden and its sequel. In 2012, she won best actress in the Golden Lotus Awards for her role in the movie Croczilla.

In recent years, she had been embroiled in lawsuits with Xiaofei. She first sued him and his mother in 2023 for insulting and defaming her on online platforms such as Weibo and Douyin.

In the same year, she sued Xiaofei for exposing their children's faces. They reportedly had a mutual agreement to safeguard their children's privacy by not showing their faces on social media.

In 2024, Xiaofei claimed in the Taiwanese courts that Barbie had used his credit card to purchase luxury goods and items for her subsequent marriage. She responded that she had used his credit card to vent her anger after their divorce but did not use it for gifts to Jun-yup.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com