Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (R) and her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei. Photo from Hsu Studio’s Weibo

As reported by Pinkvilla, Hsu and Wang got engaged in 2010, merely 49 days after their first meeting, and married in 2011. Although Hsu often spoke warmly of Wang, the couple announced their separation in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences.

Citing Mirror Media, The Straits Times reported that Hsu filed for divorce at a Taipei court in Nov. 2021. Speculation about their breakup had been circulating since June 2021, though Hsu’s mother denied any divorce at that time.

After the divorce, Hsu married South Korean musician DJ Koo in Feb. 2022, while Wang also remarried Mandy, a 26-year-old businesswoman, in 2024. Despite their new relationships, Hsu and Wang remained embroiled in public disputes.

In Nov. 2022, a year post-divorce, Hsu accused Wang of violating their divorce settlement by failing to pay spousal support since March. She claimed the outstanding amount had exceeded NT$5 million (US$152,288) and sought enforcement through the Taipei District Court. The court ruled that part of Wang’s assets in Taiwan could be seized based on substantial evidence provided.

Wang responded via his lawyer, stating that he had continued to pay child support and maintenance. However, he disputed covering additional family expenses and utility bills for the luxury home in Taipei, where Hsu lived with DJ Koo and her two children from her marriage to Wang. To support his claims, he posted on Weibo a breakdown of the “expenses” he had covered “for the children and this home” over the past year.

“I should not be paying the utility bills for this home now that they [Hsu and DJ Koo] are married,” he asserted. “I am also paying for the chauffeur and helper, and did not miss a single cent of the children’s school fees and living expenses.”

Until Dec. 2022, Wang posted—then deleted—several social media updates criticizing Hsu, DJ Koo, and her sister Dee Hsu. He accused them of infidelity, drug use, and claimed he was still burdened with hefty utility bills for Hsu and DJ Koo’s residence.

In retaliation, Hsu issued legal statements and shared two documents on Instagram that month to counter Wang’s allegations. One was a financial statement, which she claimed demonstrated she independently financed her properties. The other was a handwritten note, allegedly from Wang, acknowledging a loan of NT$26 million from Hsu—NT$20 million for his hotel business and the remainder for legal fees—which he claimed was repaid by the end of 2018.

However, Hsu wrote in the caption that she had only received NT$5 million back, sarcastically remarking: “Marrying into a wealthy family gives such stability.”

She later filed a complaint accusing Wang of violating the Personal Data Protection Act after he shared their divorce agreement on Weibo without redacting her personal details, including her address and bank account numbers.

Prosecutors charged Wang in Jan. 2024, and he went on trial on March 19 of the same year. Wang argued that it was Hsu who initially disclosed their personal and financial information on social media. He accused her of damaging his reputation by falsely alleging he failed to support the family and that she solely financed their properties.

Wang also claimed that Hsu used his credit card four months prior to their divorce to purchase NT$12 million worth of luxury items, which she allegedly sent to South Korea.

Hsu refuted these claims on social media the next day, accusing Wang of infidelity during their marriage.

“You were the one who cheated on me during the marriage,” she wrote on Weibo. “I did use your card a few times after the divorce to vent my anger, but they were approved by you with your signature. The key point was I did not use your card to buy anything for my husband.”

Hsu insisted she was spending her own hard-earned money, despite using Wang’s credit card, as she had lent him substantial sums and supported him financially during their marriage.

She reinforced her claims through her agency, which posted on Weibo the same day, stating that Wang had borrowed 16 million yuan (US$2.2 million) and HK$10 million (US$1.18 million) from her, repaying only NT$5 million.

Hsu further accused Wang’s mother Zhang Lan of spreading false claims about her friend, Taiwanese TV host Blackie Chen. Zhang had alleged in Nov. 2021 that Chen had assaulted Wang years earlier due to political disagreements, she said.

“The truth was you [Wang] were drunk that day and pushed my sister to the ground, and you pushed me to the ground too, even though I was pregnant and was trying to stop you,” she stated. “You picked up a hardcover Harry Potter book and tried to use it to hit me, and Chen stepped in to stop you from hurting me and did not assault you.”

Hsu also claimed to have received numerous photos of Wang with other women during their marriage. She revealed that Zhang Lan had advised her against divorcing Wang,despite knowing about Wang’s relationship with Chinese actress Zhang Yingying.

“I told her that you had already cheated on me, but she assured me that there was no such thing,” Hsu wrote. “The next day, photos of Zhang Lan and Zhang Yingying together appeared in major media.

“Zhang Lan denied knowing Zhang Yingying despite the contrary, and you yourself also openly declared after the incident that you have been dating her and that she was your benefactor.”

Wang quickly responded to Hsu’s accusations, posting on Weibo within an hour.

“I did not push you or your sister to the ground,” he wrote. “Your sister had been egging you to divorce me and I only pushed her in extreme anger, but I have never laid a hand on you and your sister.”

He claimed Hsu was fabricating the incident and that she had, in fact, attacked him with “a knife, golf club, and red wine bottle,” asserting that there were witnesses and evidence to support his version.

Wang also disputed Hsu’s claim that she had not purchased gifts for DJ Koo before their divorce, posting receipts to show she had bought presents for DJ Koo as early as Aug. 2021.

Their ongoing conflict resurfaced in Nov. 2024 when Hsu announced that her legal team would pursue charges against Wang and his mother Zhang Lan for defamation and insults made against her on platforms like Weibo and Douyin.

Hsu rose to fame through hit TV series such as “Meteor Garden,” “Mars,” and “Summer’s Desire.” Her family confirmed her death in a statement released by her sister Dee Hsu on Monday.

“Thank you for all the concern,” Dee Hsu expressed. “Over the Lunar New Year period, our entire family traveled 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 [Hsu’s nickname], rest in peace. We love you always. Together remember forever.”

Speculation about Hsu’s death began with a Facebook post and was initially met with skepticism, given her recent public appearances in good health, including attending a wedding in January and appearing in a New Year’s post by DJ Koo. Leaked medical reports revealed that the actress missed two critical opportunities to be saved while in Japan.