According to Taiwanese media reports, Barbie Hsu had written a memo on her phone detailing how she hoped her assets would be divided after her death. The note reportedly stated that her jewelry and luxury handbags should be inherited by her daughter, while the remainder of her estate should be shared among her husband, DJ Koo (Koo Jun Yup), her two children, and other family members.
However, the family reportedly concluded that the memo did not meet the legal requirements for a valid will and therefore could not be enforced.
Taiwanese attorney Lin Chi Chun explained that a will written as a smartphone memo generally does not satisfy Taiwan’s legal requirements.
Under Taiwan’s Civil Code, only five legally prescribed forms of wills are recognized, each requiring strict procedures and formalities. For the most common type a handwritten will the entire document must be written and signed by the person making the will. Documents typed on a computer or smartphone do not meet these legal requirements and are therefore generally considered invalid.
The lawyer also argued that Taiwan’s inheritance laws have not kept pace with modern technology. He noted that the current regulations were established in 1930, long before computers and smartphones existed. At the time, handwritten documents were considered the most reliable method of verifying authenticity.
Today, however, most people write digitally, leading some legal experts to question whether the law should be updated to reflect modern communication methods.
If no legally valid will exists, Taiwan’s inheritance laws would generally distribute the estate according to statutory succession rules. Legal experts cited in local reports say that DJ Koo, as Barbie Hsu’s surviving spouse, and her two children would likely be recognized as the primary legal heirs. However, because the children are minors, their biological father, Wang Xiaofei, could potentially manage the inheritance on their behalf as their legal representative if he holds parental authority.
The custody of Barbie Hsu’s two children has also remained a topic of discussion. The actress shared two children with her former husband Wang Xiaofei and had been raising them following their divorce. After marrying DJ Koo, the children reportedly continued living with the couple.
According to Taiwan’s Civil Code, if the parent exercising parental rights dies after a divorce, custody generally reverts to the surviving biological parent. As a result, legal observers believe Wang Xiaofei would likely assume parental authority over the children, although some reports have suggested that Barbie Hsu’s family could explore legal options depending on the circumstances.
Because Wang Xiaofei and DJ Koo have publicly disagreed in the past following Barbie Hsu’s remarriage, some observers believe further legal disputes over the estate remain possible.
Recent Hong Kong media reports also claimed that DJ Koo was seen visiting Barbie Hsu’s grave alone at Jinbaoshan Cemetery in New Taipei City, where witnesses said he spent a long time watching videos of his late wife on a tablet while paying tribute.
Although more than a year has passed since Barbie Hsu’s death, questions surrounding her inheritance and her children’s legal guardianship remain unresolved, with the reported phone memo adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal process.
Sources: Naver
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