![Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu attends a photocall for [Taiwanese director Chao-Pin Su's] out of compe..](https://japantoday-asset.scdn3.secure.raxcdn.com/img/store/85/74/23fb850290ce4dcbf730c412e9e01a779b27/tagreuters/_w850.jpg)
Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama “Meteor Garden” that once swept Asia, died after contracting pneumonia triggered by the flu. She was 48.
Hsu, better known as “Da S” which means “Big S,” caught the flu when she visited Japan with her family during the Lunar New Year, according to her younger sister, Dee Hsu, also a famed TV host. Dee Hsu said the pneumonia was a flu complication.
“I am grateful that in this lifetime I was able to be her sister, taking care of each other and being companions. I will forever be thankful for her and miss her!” Dee Hsu said in a statement on Monday, without specifying where and when her sister died.
The news about Barbie Hsu's sudden death shocked audiences in Taiwan and China, where many had watched her shows since her early career. In China, news of her death was trending on the social media platform Weibo.
“It feels like someone you’re so familiar with is suddenly gone," wrote one Weibo user. "This is unbelievable. Her two children, poor kids. May she rest in peace.”
Hsu broke into the industry when as a teenager she formed a pop music group called S.O.S. with her sister Dee Hsu, popularly known as “Xiao S” or “Small S.” The pair later switched to hosting TV shows and won many young fans.
In 2001, Meteor Garden beamed Barbie Hsu's name into many households in Asia. She played the female leading role in the romance drama, which also starred the boyband F4.
After gaining widespread popularity, she continued to advance her entertainment career through other TV dramas, movies and talk shows.
In recent years, her personal life also made it into the news, in particular her high-profile divorce from Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei. Her fallout with Wang, their heated exchanges on social media following their divorce in 2021, and their legal battles often made headlines.
She later married Korean musician Koo Jun-yup, also known as “DJ Koo."
Hsu was passionate about defending animal rights and collaborated with groups including PETA.
“Barbie was one of the first and biggest stars to lend her support to PETA,” read a statement by the organization's senior vice president, Jason Baker. “She spoke up countless times for animals, directly urging brands to stop selling fur.”
Hsu is survived by Koo and two children she shares with Wang.
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
10 Comments
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Mocheake
I had never heard of her. RIP.
Japantime
That is why the influenza shots are important every winter. I wonder if she caught the flu in Japan or brought it with her from China. Hopefully immigration will reintroduce the temperature checks for foreign visitors to keep Japan safe. Please get all the important shots.
The_Beagle
At her age that must be a rare occurrence for a healthy person. Wonder if she had other medical conditions that may have contributed.
Garthgoyle
I went thru the flu this winter for the first time in my life and I can say, I will get for sure I will get flu shots next season.
nintendogirl
Do not know her... but it's uncommon to hear you die of flu..
That's why it's important to wear masks while traveling in Japan, because the flu cases are still high and have to be careful, specially now during the Chinese New Year There are a LOT of Chinese people traveling in Japan now.... and most of all don't wear masks...
sakurasuki
She might still can be helped if Japan can do faster treatment and service, anyone who ever experience Japanese healthcare no mater how critical your situation, still need to do advanced booking, waiting to be referral to better facility or a specialist. In some case delay like that can be really fatal.
That's on the top of language barrier, that every foreigners will face in Japan.
RIP Hsu.
Gazman
As reported elsewhere, she has had heart problems for years & that gave complications with the pneumonia.
garypen
No, it isn't. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide die of flu and pneumonia every year. It's the 12th most common cause of death in the US.
stonebuddha
RIP. Meteor Garden was one of the first Asian dramas I watched. I'm not suggesting it was definitely the case with her, since she did seem to have prior health issues as another commenter mentioned, but just a reminder that there is evidence peoples' immune systems, young and old, are damaged after repeated infections in the ongoing pandemic, raising the chances for anything people get sick with to be worse, and that the rates of many different diseases have increased in the past few years. I wouldn't be surprised if all that is related to Flu rates reaching record highs since 1999 and overwhelming hospitals in Japan around the end 2024. Wishing everyone a healthy 2025.
Fighto!
Rest in Peace to Barbie and condolences to her family, friends and fans.
48 is just too young. So tragic that she leaves behind two young children.
Jay
No. Studies have shown they often have low effectiveness, sometimes as little as 10-40% in a given year.
Besides their overall ineffectiveness, repeated flu shots can actually weaken your immune system over time through something called "original antigenic sin."
And it would be downright disingenuous to conveniently ignore well-documented risks like Guillain-Barre Syndrome and other neurological complications the pharmaceutical conglomerates would rather you ignore.
TokyoLiving
Pathetic comment, grow up..