Barbie Hsu sends love to husband DJ Koo in final social media post before death at 49

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (R) and her husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo. Photo from Instagram/barbiehsu.fp

The post, dated Dec. 21, 2024, captured a performance by DJ Koo alongside K-pop girl groups Kep1er, tripleS, and UNIS at the 2024 KBS Song Festival.

"Clon forever, DJ Koo, you’re super cool," she captioned, adding shining star and red heart emojis.

The actress and her husband tied the knot in Feb. 2022, just three months after her divorce from Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, to whom she had been married since 2011.

Barbie’s family confirmed her passing in a statement released by her sister, Taiwanese host Dee Hsu, on Monday.

"Thank you for all the concern," Dee expressed. "Over the Lunar 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," she continued. "Shan [Barbie’s nickname], rest in peace. We love you always. Together remember forever."

Speculation about Barbie’s death began with a Facebook post and was initially met with doubt, given her recent public appearances in good health, including attending a wedding in January and featuring in a New Year’s post by DJ Koo.

The actress was renowned for her roles in TV dramas like "Meteor Garden," "Mars," and "Summer’s Desire." Her personal life, particularly her marriages, was consistently a subject of media and public interest.