February 6, 2025
SINGAPORE – The ashes of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu have returned home with her family on Feb 5 afternoon, according to Taiwanese media.
Hsu, also known by her stage name “Big S”, died at the age of 48 on Feb 2 after she came down with influenza-related pneumonia while on vacation with her family in Japan. She was later cremated in Japan.
In exclusive footage obtained by Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times, an urn containing Hsu’s ashes was shown being transported back to Taiwan from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Feb 5 on a VistaJet private charter flight, which landed at Taipei Songshan Airport at around 3pm the same day.
Hsu’s family members, including her mother Huang Chun-lan; her younger sister, Taiwanese TV host Dee Hsu; and her husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, were believed to have returned to Taiwan with her ashes.
Barbie Hsu’s good friends have shared more photos of the star as they continued to mourn her death.
Hsu was recently at a homecoming banquet with Koo, 55, whose full name is Koo Jun-yup, to celebrate the marriage of Taiwanese television producer Wang Wei-chung’s daughter on Jan 25.
Ms Lin Huei-chin, Wang’s wife, shared some of the final sweet photos of Hsu and Koo together on social media on Feb 4.
“Darling, I love to see you smile as it was so sweet,” Ms Lin wrote, referring to Hsu. “I can’t bear to see you leave us, but I believe we will meet again. Your beauty, your chivalry and your kindness are the best memories. Love you forever.”
Taiwanese actress-host Janet Chia, who is also the chairwoman of Taiwan’s iconic skyscraper Taipei 101, shared on social media on the night of Feb 4 her 22-year-old daughter An-an’s favourite photo taken with Hsu. The artiste was best known for her role as the feisty Shancai in the hit Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001 to 2002).
“There was a time when the kids were well-acquainted with Big S, and they used to go to Auntie Big S’s house to play together,” Chia, 50, wrote. “And then Auntie Big S would air only Meteor Garden at her home.”
Hsu’s former husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, flew to Taiwan on Feb 3 after learning of her death. He was then on vacation in Thailand with his current wife, Taiwanese influencer and beauty consultant Mandy Ma, together with their mothers.
The 43-year-old was filmed by Taiwanese media returning to his rented home in Taipei while it was drizzling, as he bowed deeply to the journalists before entering the residence.
Wang, who had been involved in a spat with Hsu after their divorce in November 2021, also commented on social media that he missed his ex-wife and said he should have been the one who died.
However, his public show of regret has been criticised by his former girlfriend Chinese actress Zhang Yingying. Wang has two children – a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son – with Hsu.
Without naming Wang and Hsu in a long post on Chinese social media platform Weibo late on Feb 4, Zhang, 29, accused Wang of using Hsu’s death to improve his image and listed his alleged mistreatment of Hsu.
“The man who hurt her the most has skyrocketed in popularity, while none of her family and friends who loved her dearly have made any public appearances,” Zhang wrote. “He said he missed her after her death, but where did it leave his current wife? He has again hurt both his former wife and his current wife.”
Ma also urged netizens to stop cyber bullying Wang and her, in a phone interview with Taiwan’s China Times on Feb 4.
“(Barbie) and I bore no grudges against each other, and we have kept in touch from time to time for the sake of the two children,” Ma said.
Adding that the priority now is to take good care of the kids after Hsu’s death, Ma – who was romantically linked with Wang in late 2023 and married him in May 2024 – said she felt as if she had done something wrong when she was slammed on the internet.
“But I did not interfere in their marriage,” she said. “I have not interfered in anyone’s relationship from the time I dated Wang to our marriage.”