Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, star of the seminal idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), 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 her younger sister, famed Taiwanese 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.

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, is dead.

Many netizens initially thought the news was a hoax as Hsu recently made an appearance at a wedding celebration for Taiwanese television producer Wang Wei-chung’s daughter in January and looked to be well 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 rumours intensified as messages sent to Hsu’s family, including Dee Hsu, asking for clarification on the news were ignored. Hsu’s ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, also changed his profile pictures on social media to plain black, as if to indicate that he is in mourning.

Barbie Hsu leaves behind two children - a 10-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son - she had with Wang, whom she divorced in 2021. Three months after the split, she reunited with her old flame Koo and married him.

She is also survived by Dee Hsu, their older sister who is not a celebrity and their mother.

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