According to local media reports, Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who rose to fame for her role in the TV series "Meteor Garden," has passed away due to pneumonia at the age of 48. Hsu was one of the most well-known celebrities in the Chinese-speaking world, and after "Meteor Garden" was translated into local languages, she became a household name in countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.
The news of Hsu's death has sparked immense grief on social media, with fans expressing shock and paying tribute to her impact on popular culture. Her younger sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed her death to Taiwan's TVBS News on Monday, a day after rumors of her passing circulated. It is reported that she fell ill while on vacation in Japan.
Dee Hsu released a statement through her agent, saying, "Our whole family went on vacation to Japan during the Lunar New Year. My dearest sister, Barbie Hsu, unfortunately left us due to pneumonia caused by the flu." Hsu debuted at the age of 17 as part of a pop duo with her sister, Dee Hsu, and later became a television host, known for her lively style and sense of humor.
However, what truly propelled Hsu to fame outside of the Chinese-speaking world was the TV series "Meteor Garden," an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name from the 1990s. Hsu played the female lead, Shan Cai, a poor student from a middle-class family who enters an elite private school and finds herself entangled in a love affair with a group of wealthy young men.
The four male actors who co-starred with her in "Meteor Garden" later formed the Taiwanese boy band F4, which became one of the most popular Mandarin pop groups of the 2000s. On Monday, F4 member Ken Chu posted a blank black image on Instagram, along with a photo of him with Hsu. He wrote on Weibo, "This is a bolt from the blue."
"Meteor Garden" captivated Asian audiences before the advent of video streaming. In the Philippines alone, a local television station reportedly aired the entire series eight times to meet fan demand. Bootleg CDs of the show were also sold at roadside stalls. In addition to the series itself, the theme song of "Meteor Garden" was also translated into local languages and became popular on radio and music channels.
Two decades since its premiere, the popularity of "Meteor Garden" has not waned, with remakes over the years attracting new fans. Different versions of the show have also been produced in Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and India. On Monday morning, Hsu became the top trending topic on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Posts about the flu in Japan also became a hot topic.
One comment read, "I can't believe it," echoing hundreds of similar sentiments. "She was only 48... this is too sudden," another Weibo comment stated. "It's a bit hard to accept." Hsu had a history of epilepsy and heart conditions and had previously been hospitalized for seizures.
She had two children with her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, whom she split with in 2021 after ten years of a tumultuous relationship. She married her current husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, in 2022, with whom she had previously dated in the 1990s.