Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, best known for her role in the iconic 2001 TV series Meteor Garden, has tragically died due to pneumonia. She was 48.
Hsu is said to have fallen ill while on a trip to Japan. Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed the news of her death in a statement to Taiwan’s TVBS News on Monday. “During the Lunar New Year, our family went to Japan for vacation. My dear sister Barbie has unfortunately passed away after contracting pneumonia triggered by influenza,” Dee shared through her manager.
A major star in the Mandarin-speaking world, Hsu gained widespread fame across Southeast Asia, with Meteor Garden being dubbed into languages like Filipino, Indonesian and Thai.
Barbie Hsu was previously married to Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei for 10 years before their highly publicised divorce in 2021.
She began her career at 17 as part of a pop duo with her sister Dee, and the two became popular TV hosts known for their vibrant personalities.
However, it was her role in Meteor Garden, a TV adaptation of the 1990s Japanese manga Boys Over Flowers, that catapulted her to international stardom. In the show, Hsu played Shancai, a working-class girl who finds herself in a complicated love triangle with the heirs of wealthy families.
Her four co-stars from the series went on to form the successful Taiwanese boy band F4, one of the biggest Mandopop acts of the 2000s.
F4 member Ken Chu expressed his grief by sharing a black screen and a photo with Hsu on Instagram, writing, “What a bolt from the blue” on Weibo.
After Meteor Garden, Hsu continued her career with numerous TV dramas and films, including hits like Corner With Love and Summer’s Desire. She took a break from acting in 2012 but remained a presence on reality TV.
Aya Liu, a long-time friend and fellow host, shared on Weibo that she had met Hsu just last month and they had promised to meet more often. “I didn’t think that would be our last gathering. Rest in peace, the most beautiful queen,” Liu wrote.
Hsu had a history of epilepsy and heart disease and had been hospitalised previously due to seizures. She is survived by her husband, South Korean DJ Koo and two children from her previous marriage.
