Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu has tragically passed away just days before what would have been her third wedding anniversary.
Hsu, who died at the age of 48 due to complications from influenza, married her former boyfriend – South Korean singer Koo Jun-yup (also known as DJ Koo) – on Feb 8, 2022.
The couple rekindled their romance 22 years after their initial relationship ended.
They first dated in 1998, but their relationship lasted only a year before they broke up in 1999. Reports suggest that their split was due to their busy schedules and the no-dating rule imposed by Koo’s agency at the time.
Koo was part of the popular K-pop duo Clon.
Their second chance at love began when Koo reached out to Hsu upon hearing about her divorce from Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei.
The Meteor Garden star married Koo just three months after her separation from Wang.
The couple first registered their marriage in South Korea in February 2022, before Koo travelled to Taiwan the following month to formalise their union there.
During a June 2022 appearance on Korean variety show You Quiz On The Block, Koo spoke lovingly about Hsu to host Yoo Jae-suk, calling her as his anchor.
He said: “Thank you for accepting me after 20 years. For the rest of our lives together, our days will be happy and healthy. I will be by your side, protecting you, loving you, cherishing you. I love you, Barbie.
“I’m the happiest person in the world!”
Soon after their marriage, Hsu shared this on social media: "Life is uncertain. I cherish the happiness I have in the present. I thank everything that has led me step by step to where I am now."
Hsu’s final post on Instagram was on Dec 21, in support of her husband’s performance at the KBS Song Festival.
News of Hsu’s passing began circulating on Feb 2.
On Feb 3, her family confirmed the news through a statement sent to Taiwanese media via the manager of her younger sister, TV host Dee Hsu.
The statement 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.”
