Taiwanese actress-host died on Feb 3 last year<\/a> at the age of 48 from complications from pneumonia caused by the flu while on a family trip to Japan during the Chinese New Year period.<\/p>\nIn an episode of South Korean programme Celebrity Soldier’s Secret that aired yesterday (Feb 3), events leading to her last days were revealed.<\/p>\n
Barbie married South Korean singer-DJ Koo Jun-yup in 2022 after divorcing Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei a year earlier, and the couple’s romance is known in the country.<\/p>\n
In the broadcast, specialist Dr Lee Nak-jun explained that Barbie suffered from mitral valve prolapse – a heart disease where the mitral valve fails to close properly.<\/p>\n
Dr Lee brought up the time when she temporarily stopped breathing while giving birth to her son Hsi-lin in 2016 and fell into a 10-day coma after suffering from seizures and convulsions caused by preeclampsia.<\/p>\n
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“Heart disease increases the risk of preeclampsia, which in turn worsens heart disease, creating a vicious cycle,” said Dr Lee.<\/p>\n
According to the episode, Barbie developed symptoms resembling a cold, including high fever and body aches, shortly after arriving in Japan. To relief the discomfort in her body, she reportedly visited her hotel’s hot springs.<\/p>\n
However, the heat allegedly caused a sharp spike in her blood pressure, straining her weak heart.<\/p>\n
Barbie was reportedly taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and advised to be transferred to a larger, local hospital for treatment. Her fever had momentarily subsided following antipyretic treatment, leading her family to believe her condition had improved.<\/p>\n
She allegedly wanted to return home to recuperate – a wish her family heeded by urgently booking flight tickets to Taiwan.<\/p>\n
However, according to Dr Lee, the disappearing fever was more ominous than fortunate. “In chronic patients, a reduced fever may not signal recovery – it might be a warning that the body has surrendered to the virus,” he explained. “This is likely why the medical staff strongly urged that she went to a larger hospital for further treatment.”<\/p>\n
While en route to the airport on the afternoon of Feb 2, 2025, Barbie allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest in her car. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where she received CPR and intensive care for 14 hours, but she failed to regain consciousness and eventually died the next day.<\/p>\n
Remembering Barbie<\/h2>\n
To commemorate the first anniversary of Barbie’s death yesterday, her husband Jun-yup unveiled a statue he designed after her at her grave in Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was attended by Barbie’s mother Huang Chun-mei, her sister Dee Hsu and brother-in-law Mike Hsu, as well as celebrities such as Kevin Tsai, Matilda Tao, Pace Wu, Chia Yeong-chieh, Aya Liu, Mavis Fan, Jun-yup’s former group mate Kang Won-rae and Super Junior’s Choi Siwon.<\/p>\n
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