February 3, 2025
SINGAPORE – Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, star of the seminal idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), who is also known by her stage name Big S, has died at the age of 48.
The news was confirmed on Feb 3 in a statement sent out to Taiwanese media by her family via the manager of her younger sister, famed Taiwanese television host Dee Hsu, 46.
According to Taiwanese news outlet Star ETToday, the statement written primarily in Chinese read: “Thanks for all the concern. Over the Chinese New Year period, our entire family travelled to Japan for a holiday, and my most beloved, kindest elder sister Barbie caught influenza-related pneumonia and has unfortunately left us.
“I am thankful to be her sister in this life, and grateful that we have taken care of each other and kept each other company all these years. I will always be thankful to her and remember her. Shan (Barbie Hsu’s nickname), rest in peace. We love you always. Together remember forever.”
The statement did not clarify when and where Barbie Hsu died. According to Taiwanese news reports, sources say the Hsu family is currently still in Japan and Barbie Hsu will likely be cremated there before her remains are brought back to Taiwan.
The news came after a netizen implied on Facebook on Feb 2 that a Taiwanese celebrity married to a foreigner has died at age 48, sparking rumours that Hsu, who is married to South Korean musician Koo Jun-yup, 55, died.
Many netizens initially thought the news was a hoax, as Hsu recently made an appearance at a homecoming banquet to celebrate the marriage of Taiwanese television producer Wang Wei-chung’s daughter on Jan 25 and looked to be healthy and in good spirits. She also appeared in a New Year post made by Koo on Dec 31 with the rest of her family and looked to be well then too.
But the rumours intensified as messages sent to Hsu’s family, including Dee Hsu, asking for clarification on the news were ignored.
Barbie Hsu’s former husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, reportedly also changed his profile photo on Chinese streaming platform Douyin to plain black, as if to indicate he was in mourning.
Taiwanese singer Christine Fan, who is good friends with both Barbie and Dee Hsu, posted a black background with no caption on her Instagram on Feb 3, shortly after the news was confirmed.
Hsu leaves behind two children – a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son – she had with Wang, whom she divorced in November 2021. Three months after the split in February 2022, she reunited with her old flame Koo and married him. They would have been married for three years on Feb 8.
She is also survived by Dee Hsu, their older sister who is not a celebrity and their mother.