Barbie Hsu. Image: ELLE Taiwan via Instagram/@hsushiyuan
Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actress best known for her lead role in “Meteor Garden,” has died due to pneumonia caused by influenza complications. She was 48 years old.
Hsu’s death was confirmed by her sister Dee through her agent on Monday, February 3, where the actress contracted influenza-induced pneumonia during a family trip to Japan.
“Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us,” Hsu’s sister said through a report from the Taiwanese media outlet Focus Taiwan.
In the statement, Dee said she’s grateful to have been and spent time with the actress “in this life,” and that she would miss her.
“I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to her and miss her,” she said per report.
Barbie is survived by her second husband, South Korean singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup and her two children: a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son, which she bore with her ex-husband Wang Xiaofei, who is a Chinese businessman.
Born Hsu Hsi-yuan, Barbie is beloved by local fans for her role as Shancai in the hit drama “Meteor Garden,” a Taiwanese TV adaptation of the Japanese manga “Hana Yori Dango,” sharing screen time with equally popular TV and music greats Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Ken Chu, and Vanness Wu.
She also appeared in several films and series including “Meteor Garden II,” “Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story,” “Corner With Love,” “Mars,” “On His Majesty’s Secret Service,” and “Future X-Cops,” to name a few.