Taiwanese pop star and actress Barbie Hsu Shiyuan, better known by her stage name Big S, passed away on February 2 at the age of 48 during a family trip to Japan over the Chinese New Year holiday. Initial reports speculated that her cause of death was pneumonia following the flu, sparking widespread discussion on Chinese social media about flu infections in Japan. However, on February 4, media confirmed that she had died of septic shock. Hsu had a history of epilepsy and heart disease.
Born in 1976, Hsu launched her entertainment career at 17 as part of a pop duo with her younger sister, Dee Hsu, known as Little S. The two later gained fame as TV hosts. She was best known for her lead role in the hit romance drama Meteor Garden (2001-2002), an adaptation of a Japanese manga. The show became a cultural phenomenon in China and was also well-received in Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia, cementing Hsu’s status as one of the most beloved stars in the region.
Hsu’s personal life had long been a subject of intense public scrutiny, particularly her marriages to entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei and later to South Korean pop singer Koo Jun-yup. Her relationships, along with other aspects of her private life, frequently dominated discussions on Chinese social media, where rumors often spread widely.
News of Hsu’s sudden death sent shockwaves through the Chinese-speaking world. Countless celebrities and netizens expressed their grief and disbelief. Some compared her life to The Truman Show, noting how every detail, from her career to her relationships and even her death, had been relentlessly dissected by the public. Many argued that the unrelenting attention, tabloid gossip and cyberbullying had taken a toll on her mental and physical health.
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