Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, best known for her role in Meteor Garden, has died at the age of 48 due to complications from pneumonia, her family confirmed on Monday.

"Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," her sister, Dee Hsu, said in a statement through her agent. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to her and miss her!"

Hsu had traveled to Japan with her family during the Lunar New Year holiday, where she reportedly contracted influenza. Her condition worsened, leading to pneumonia-related complications.

Prior to the official confirmation of her death, speculation about the passing of a well-known celebrity in Japan circulated online. Media outlets attempted to contact her family for verification, but no immediate responses were given. However, her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, changed his social media profile picture to black, a move interpreted by many as a sign of mourning.

Hsu is survived by her husband, South Korean singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup, as well as her two children-a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son-from her previous marriage to Wang.

Hsu and Koo rekindled their relationship and married in March 2022, decades after their initial romance in the late 1990s. The couple had originally dated between 1998 and 2000, but separated due to restrictions imposed by Koo's entertainment agency. They reunited in 2021 following Hsu's divorce from Wang.

Hsu rose to fame as Shan Cai, the lead character in the hit 2001 Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden, which became one of the most influential Asian television series of its time. The show propelled her to international stardom and cemented her status as one of Taiwan's most recognizable celebrities.