One year on, Barbie Hsu is still fondly remembered.
The Taiwanese actress-host died on Feb 3 last year at the age of 48 from complications from pneumonia caused by the flu while on a family trip to Japan during the Chinese New Year period.
In an episode of South Korean programme Celebrity Soldier’s Secret that aired yesterday (Feb 3), events leading to her last days were revealed.
Barbie married South Korean singer-DJ Koo Jun-yup in 2022 after divorcing Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei a year earlier, and the couple’s romance is known in the country.
In the broadcast, specialist Dr Lee Nak-jun explained that Barbie suffered from mitral valve prolapse – a heart disease where the mitral valve fails to close properly.
Dr Lee brought up the time when she temporarily stopped breathing while giving birth to her son Hsi-lin in 2016 and fell into a 10-day coma after suffering from seizures and convulsions caused by preeclampsia.
[[nid:496821]]
“Heart disease increases the risk of preeclampsia, which in turn worsens heart disease, creating a vicious cycle,” said Dr Lee.
According to the episode, Barbie developed symptoms resembling a cold, including high fever and body aches, shortly after arriving in Japan. To relief the discomfort in her body, she reportedly visited her hotel’s hot springs.
However, the heat allegedly caused a sharp spike in her blood pressure, straining her weak heart.
Barbie was reportedly taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and advised to be transferred to a larger, local hospital for treatment. Her fever had momentarily subsided following antipyretic treatment, leading her family to believe her condition had improved.
She allegedly wanted to return home to recuperate – a wish her family heeded by urgently booking flight tickets to Taiwan.
However, according to Dr Lee, the disappearing fever was more ominous than fortunate. “In chronic patients, a reduced fever may not signal recovery – it might be a warning that the body has surrendered to the virus,” he explained. “This is likely why the medical staff strongly urged that she went to a larger hospital for further treatment.”
While en route to the airport on the afternoon of Feb 2, 2025, Barbie allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest in her car. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where she received CPR and intensive care for 14 hours, but she failed to regain consciousness and eventually died the next day.
Remembering Barbie
To commemorate the first anniversary of Barbie’s death yesterday, her husband Jun-yup unveiled a statue he designed after her at her grave in Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei.
The ceremony was attended by Barbie’s mother Huang Chun-mei, her sister Dee Hsu and brother-in-law Mike Hsu, as well as celebrities such as Kevin Tsai, Matilda Tao, Pace Wu, Chia Yeong-chieh, Aya Liu, Mavis Fan, Jun-yup’s former group mate Kang Won-rae and Super Junior’s Choi Siwon.
Barbie was best known for her role in the 2001 idol drama Meteor Garden and her co-stars Jerry Yan, Vic Chou and Rainie Yang were also present.
In a Facebook post documenting the heartfelt ceremony, Dee, 47, wrote: “Thank you to my brother-in-law, Koo Jun-yup for designing such a beautiful statue of my sister. I hope those who love Barbie can come and see her and talk to her when they miss her…
“When I’m deep in grief, I just think about how Jun-yup was by Barbie’s side for the three years before she died, how he’s a man who truly loves her – asking for nothing in return and didn’t crave anything beyond love, protecting her with a pure, simple and innocent heart – my heart would be at peace…
“When my mother saw the statue of Barbie, she said, ‘My darling, you’ve been reborn!’ I believe the void in my mother’s heart has been filled today.”
Barbie’s two children – Hsi-yueh, 11, and Hsi-lin, 10 – and Xiaofei were not present at the ceremony.
In July 2025, several netizens posted online that they had seen Jun-yup visiting Barbie’s grave every time they went to Chin Pao San Cemetery.
[[nid:729293]]
kristy.chua@asiaone.com
Read the full article here
