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.
Taiwanese singer and actor Jimmy Lin was taken to hospital after his Tesla car crashed into a road divider signpost and burst into flames on Friday (July 22).
He fractured some bones in his face and shoulder and was under medical observation, but his injuries were not life-threatening, Taiwanese news reports said.
Lin was reportedly with one of his twin sons, Jenson, in the car. The singer was said to be driving along Zhongzheng North Road in Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, at around 10.51am on Friday when he made a U-turn, veered to the right lane and collided into a road divider signpost.
Videos on social media showed a white Tesla smashed against a signpost with the front of the vehicle on fire, as a plume of black smoke rose into the air. Subsequent videos of the accident showed a badly damaged Tesla being lifted up by a crane onto a truck while the fire was being extinguished by jets of water.
The 48-year-old Lin and his son were rescued from the burning vehicle by passers-by and taken to Linkou Chang Gung hospital for treatment, Taiwanese news outlet TVBS reported. His son had minor injuries to his face.
The Taiwanese police said that Lin was not driving under the influence of alcohol and that investigations into the crash are ongoing, TVBS reported.
In a statement released on Lin's Facebook page at around 5.50pm on Friday, his studio thanked the passers-by for their timely intervention to pull the singer from the damaged vehicle. It also confirmed that Lin's condition was stable and he was under observation.
#Trending! #StephenChow reacts to the passing of close collaborator #NgMantat: "Even though I've been following his condition closely, and I was somewhat prepared, I'm still filled with grief [...] He was my collaborator and friend for many years. I cannot accept reality yet." pic.twitter.com/5NQZibyc9M
[trending] Veteran Hong Kong actor #NgMantat has has passed away at age of 68. He was recently hospitalised due to a serious illness, and good friend #TinKaiman shares with media that the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep. RIP and condolences to family and friends🕯 pic.twitter.com/Q8nYTJJZsz
ALso this comm is turning into a death reporting comm and i don't like that either. I might start posting again but it will only be about my faves probably lol.
Welcome to Aiya They Didn't! We are the Chinese version of ONTD, and are dedicated to gossip, news and commentary from the Chinese entertainment world.
