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Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu attends a photocall for [Taiwanese director Chao-Pin Su's] out of compe..
FILE PHOTO: Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu attends a photocall for [Taiwanese director Chao-Pin Su's] out of competition film "Guisi" at the 59th Cannes Film Festival May 24, 2006. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo Image: Reuters/Eric Gaillard
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Taiwan actress Barbie Hsu dies in Japan after contracting pneumonia triggered by flu

35 Comments

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.

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

35 Comments
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I had never heard of her. RIP.

8 ( +18 / -10 )

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.

-18 ( +19 / -37 )

At her age that must be a rare occurrence for a healthy person. Wonder if she had other medical conditions that may have contributed.

7 ( +17 / -10 )

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.

18 ( +27 / -9 )

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...

-16 ( +10 / -26 )

As reported elsewhere, she has had heart problems for years & that gave complications with the pneumonia.

26 ( +27 / -1 )

nintendogirl

Do not know her... but it's uncommon to hear you die of flu..

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.

15 ( +21 / -6 )

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.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

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.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

That is why the influenza shots are important every winter. Please get all the important shots.

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.

-13 ( +8 / -21 )

it's uncommon to hear you die of flu..

On the contrary, it's so common it's now worth talking about.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

Thought she looked amazing for 48 but the photo turns out to be nearly 20 years old.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

nintendogirlToday  06:14 pm JST

Do not know her... but it's uncommon to hear you die of flu..

It is uncommon to hear of it because, it's like telling someone on the news, that someone died of Asthma. The news broadcasters don't get enough eyeballs. Anyway, about 650,000 die annually from Influenza.Every single year! Not insignificant.

Sadly it doesn't grab the headline because it is so prevalent. If you look at the death rate of people with flu, it increases if you have a concomitant condition. It has a big effect on the elderly and the young the most.

We almost lost our kid to it, as he also had asthma on top. Very scary time! We will make sure he gets vaccinated now. We wouldn't want to go through that again.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

JayToday  07:54 pm JST

That is why the influenza shots are important every winter. Please get all the important shots.

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.

You may also want to balance that with the risks of not getting a shot. Depending on the person, their health, and risks. You could say this about any medications JayToday. Aspirin will give you CRVO BRVO Reyes Syndrome, while Paracetamil could give you Steven Johnson syndrome. And yet, how many of us have used them? You are over-emphasising the one in a million compared to the risk of death. and that is kinda "permanent" side effect NOT GETTING A VACCINE. And you could also say that about all the other. Every single drug, that can be prescribed has side effects; even your humble AMBULANCE has side effects. In the US alone, 28 people die in an ambulance accident each year. Would you advise anyone not to call an ambulance because....! Of course not!

6 ( +11 / -5 )

They have a vaccine for pneumonia

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

I've heard of this actress, she's best known for appearing in a 2008 Hong Kong action movie "Connected" with actor Louis Koo, and also appeared in a 2009 Hong Kong historical action comedy movie "Oh His Majesty's Service" with Louis Koo again.

Sad to see her gone, may she rest peacefully in Heaven.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It is uncommon to hear of it because, it's like telling someone on the news, that someone died of Asthma. The news broadcasters don't get enough eyeballs. Anyway, about 650,000 die annually from Influenza.Every single year! Not insignificant.

Agreed. But what is relatively uncommon is for a youngish person to die from it, but absolutely not unknown.

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.

No doubt you went through the "oh, so this is flu...I hope I never go through that again" feeling.

When you get a bad dose of influenza as a fit person, you can understand why it kills so many.

And while effectiveness varies year to year, and from age to age, getting the vaccine is more important in the elderly.

UK data from last year:

'Estimated vaccine effectiveness against all influenzas ranged from 63% (95% confidence interval 46 to 75%) to 65% (41 to 79%) among children aged 2–17, from 36% (20 to 49%) to 55% (43 to 65%) among adults 18–64 and from 40% (29 to 50%) to 55% (32 to 70%) among adults aged 65 and over.'

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Remember all that nonsense about Covid being no more dangerous than flu?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

To be fair she does look quite frail in that photo. Could have something to do with it. Proper nutrition is very important in building a good immune system. Poor lady.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Tora

You mean, Asians are generally slenderer than other races? Also with her budget, she could afford a healthier diet than any of us. Pneumonia doesn't care about your immuno system, specially if you have other conditions.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Garthgoyle

Asians are generally slenderer than other races? 

Han Chinese are genetically Southeast Asian from Burma, have weak genetic resistance to pneumonia.

This is why SARS and COVID were so lethal to Chinese.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

toraToday 12:02 am JST

To be fair she does look quite frail in that photo.

You haven't seen our Ariana not so Grande.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

 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.

She's Taiwanese. Please keep your not-so-subtle China-bashing/Japan-cheering comments to yourself, with regard to stories reporting the sad demise of other human beings.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Uncommon to hear of people dying of flu. No it isn't, just not covered as a hot topic on the news. Flu vaccines only 40 percent effective. Other opinions ad infinitim. Gotta wear masks because of all those foreigners coming to Japan, especially the Chinese who don't wear masks. China bashing, heartless racist garbage.

Certainly is that 100 percent of people die from life. We should be enjoying life and respecting other people doing the same. Good luck to all and do your best to keep physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy and contribute to others efforts to do the same.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No. Studies have shown they often have low effectiveness, sometimes as little as 10-40% in a given year.

Even the worst year of influenza vaccines is much better than the 0% protection of not being vaccinated, they are recommended by doctors precisely because any percentage means an important reduction of risk.

Besides their overall ineffectiveness, repeated flu shots can actually weaken your immune system over time through something called "original antigenic sin."

No they don't, that is a lie propagated by antivaxxer propaganda groups that has no scientific basis, there is no original antigenic sin for influenza, it is not dengue.

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.

All those complications are much more common for influenza than from the vaccines, in fact being vaccinated would lower the risks from presenting them.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Tragic. The illnesses this year going through Japan are pretty brutal. Lots of people around me are getting sick weekly. Especially Tokyo the clinic my wife works at keeps having dozens of tourists coming in with the flu. Even with a flu shot, the various variations are kicking its butt. Stay safe, wash those hands, and rest up!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I am a little curious as to weather it was actually Flu related or not.

I have had a few cases of pneumonia especially recently with my heart condition.

In my youth I nearly died do to complications from pneumonia and recently had it not been in my insistance to test that same type could have been again a problem.

mycoplasma pneumoniae is at an all time high and it will not show up on a "influenza" test because it isn't the flu.

I was recently told I had a " lung infection" but on my insistance they finally agreed to test for mycoplasma pneumoniae and yep that is what I had and thankfully they started the correct antibiotics.

Usually young and healthy this type should resolve on its own, but if you have a compromised system like, heart problems, etc... this is a creeping bug that suddenly turns bad.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I met both sisters when my wife and I stayed in their Taipei S hotel.

nice people, sorry to see her die so young.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I am a little curious as to weather it was actually Flu related or not.

Why? This is a very common scenario and the family say this was the diagnostic of the doctor, there is no real reason to doubt it. Nobody says all pneumonia cases have to be caused by influenza, but this is frequently the case,

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

JapantimeFeb. 3  05:00 pm JST 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

Reintroduce? When I arrived at Narita at the end of last month they still had thermal screening at immigration.

TT

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

>

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

virusrex

Today 03:40 pm JST

I am a little curious as to weather it was actually Flu related or not.

> Why? This is a very common scenario and the family say this was the diagnostic of the doctor, there is no real reason to doubt it. Nobody says all pneumonia cases have to be caused by influenza, but this is frequently the case,

Because these days doctors are frequently lazy!

They do a quick influenza test then ignore everything else and that is the reason there is so much mycoplasma pneumoniae going around and this isn't me saying it this was in several Japanese news paper starting all the way back in October right up to the last article on January 25 last week.

All these articles pointed to the fact that doctors are overlooking mycoplasma pneumoniae because no simple test is available, they do to A+B influenza test maybe the COVID test (antigen test) and then forget about testing for mycoplasma pneumoniae which unless things have changed in the last week, requires a laboratory test.

You keep forgetting doctors are human and can make mistakes as are some people that think they are so much smarter than others.

I just finished dealing with mycoplasma pneumoniae but had I not insisted on being tested they wouldn't have known possibly until it was far more advanced.

As for influenza being frequently the cause of pneumonia normally yes but not this year and if you had done a little checking you would have known that this year "walking pneumonia" as the news has dubbed mycoplasma pneumoniae is far more frequent this season.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

As reported elsewhere, she has had heart problems for years & that gave complications with the pneumonia.

That probably contributed to the outcome.

I would add that I suspect she might have low vitD levels. Looking at the pic, although an old pic, I suspect she avoids sun exposure....

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Because these days doctors are frequently lazy!

Still not a reason, not an argument to doubt something that commonly happens.

What would be justified is to arbitrarily disregard a well characterized cause without any reason, is like a patient with uncontrolled diabetes for years losing a limb because of gangrene and then someone saying "I doubt it was the diabetes". It makes no sense.

Mycoplasma is very easy to diagnose clinically, not to mention that it can be also detected with PCR or serology, so "lazy" doctors can just order a panel and have it reported at the same time as every other respiratory pathogen, it is long past the time it would require any special kind of procedure.

Doctors are human, but they have the advantage of being able to examine the patient and have tests to examine, before thinking the doctors must be incompetent it is much more justified to think the armchair expert that doubts them is the one wrong, after all speaking without basis frequently ends up this way.

As for influenza being frequently the cause of pneumonia normally yes but not this year

Yes every year, having other causes for pneumonia does nothing to reduce the risk of complication from influenza, and having millions of cases of influenza ends up meaning thousands of serious complications from it, like pneumonia. You are confused between an increase of the cases due to mycoplasma and influenza cases not complicating, these are not things that have to happen togheter.

I would add that I suspect she might have low vitD levels. Looking at the pic, although an old pic, I suspect she avoids sun exposure

Most people in Asian countries have "low" vitamin D, but without actual clinical signs of deficiency it has no importance for immunity.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

She cannot but come and go between hotel and hospital, and seemed to have been not able to quickly get necessary medical treatments such as test or medication or hospitalization in Japan where unscientifically weaken caution to infection diseases despite deaths increasing whenever it's summer and winter.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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