The news has been reported that Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu has passed away due to acute pneumonia, and her husband, singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup, is in shock and deep sorrow. According to a report from Daily Sports on the 3rd, Koo Jun-yup expressed his distress over the news of his wife’s death, which was conveyed through foreign media, by stating, “I’m not okay.” He also refuted rumors of fake news with a firm “no,” unable to hide his deep sadness.
On that day, Taiwanese media such as the Central News Agency (CNA) and Liberty Times reported that Barbie Hsu’s family confirmed the rumors of her death, which had spread the previous day. She was 48 years old. Barbie Hsu’s younger sister, Dee Hsu, released a statement through an agent, explaining that their family had traveled to Japan during the Lunar New Year holidays, where her beloved and kind sister caught the flu which developed into pneumonia, tragically leading to her passing away.
Dee Hsu added, “I am thankful for having lived as her sister in this lifetime, caring for and being with each other. I will forever be grateful and miss her.” However, the family did not detail when or where Barbie Hsu passed away.
The previous night in Taiwan, there were rumors that a “48-year-old Taiwanese superstar who married a foreign person” had died from the flu in Japan. Netizens speculated that this person was Barbie Hsu.
Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese star active as an actress, singer, and host, made her entertainment industry debut in the 1990s by forming the duo “SOS” with her sister Dee Hsu. Her popularity surged throughout Asia, including Taiwan, when she played the lead role of “Shan Cai” in the 2001 drama “Meteor Garden,” based on the Japanese manga “Boys Over Flowers.” The drama also gained popularity when it aired domestically.
Barbie Hsu married Chinese entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei in 2011, but they divorced in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She remarried Koo Jun-yup in 2022. Barbie Hsu and Koo Jun-yup dated in the late 1990s when his group Clon was popular in Taiwan. After a long separation, they reunited as a couple 23 years later, creating a significant buzz in both countries.
She is survived by her husband Koo Jun-yup, her daughter (10), and her son (8) from her previous marriage with Wang Xiaofei.