Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s passing at age 48 due to pneumonia from influenza complications sparked conversation online regarding the Taiwanese star’s past health battles.

Barbie was known to have a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, as well as epilepsy.

Focus Taiwan reported Barbie once opened up during an interview that she had “a history of mitral valve prolapse and epilepsy,” and that she “nearly died from a seizure” during the birth of her son in 2016.

In late January 2025, Barbie and her family, including younger sister Dee Hsu, flew to Japan for vacation. Barbie caught the flu (influenza) and was hospitalized, but her condition progressed into pneumonia that led to her death. Dee confirmed her passing on February 3 through a statement released to the media.

Barbie debuted in 1994 as a singer along with Dee under the name S.O.S. (later called ASOS).

She began hosting TV programs in 1995 and acting in TV shows in 1998. Her big break came in 2001 with the lead role of Shan Cai in the Taiwanese drama adaptation of manga, Meteor Garden.

The series also featured Taiwanese boy band F4, and earned her a nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series at the Golden Bell Award. Meteor Garden is credited in the golden age of Taiwanese dramas in the 2000s.

During her acting career, Barbie Hsu starred in over 11 TV series– including Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story, Corner with Love, Summer’s Desire, and appeared in 13 films, such as Silk.

She retired from acting in 2011 after marrying Chinese businessman Wang Fiao Fei. They had two children, and divorced in 2021. The following year, Barbie remarried ex-boyfriend DJ Koo, a South Korean DJ whom she dated in 1998.

Her death shocks fans and posts of mourning, including those of her ex-husband Wang Fiao Fei, former Meteor Garden co-stars Ken Chu and Rainie Yang.