Recently, the news of Barbie Hsu’s death at the age of 48 shocked the public. She reportedly suffered from complications of pneumonia caused by the flu while traveling in Japan. The Chinese entertainment industry and netizens alike are in deep sorrow over her passing.
It is reported that after hearing the tragic news, Barbie Hsu’s ex-husband, businessman Wang Xiaofei, urgently returned to Taiwan from Thailand. Facing reporters waiting at the airport, Wang Xiaofei bowed and pressed his hands together, saying, “Please speak kindly of her… Barbie Hsu is my family.”
Later, as reporters followed the businessman, they spotted Wang Xiaofei walking alone in the rain for more than 30 minutes to return to his home in Taipei. His clothes were soaked, and his eyes were red, likely due to crying.
However, a reporter claimed that this was nothing but an act, stating that the car of the businessman’s worker went straight from the airport to Wang Xiaofei’s home. Wang Xiaofei only got out and walked in the rain to pretend to be pitiful afterwards as he knew there were reporters following him, said the aforementioned person.
Additionally, Wang Xiaofei has found himself at the center of controversy. As soon as the news of Barbie Hsu’s passing surfaced on social media, netizens noticed that Wang Xiaofei changed his Douyin profile picture to a black background—an action typically used to mourn the deceased. However, not long after, he replaced it with a photo of himself and his daughter. Netizens have since criticized him for being hypocritical, arguing that he had previously caused Barbie Hsu and their children immense suffering, yet now he is trying to appear as a caring ex-husband and devoted father.
One enraged netizen commented, “Everyone, remember what Wang Xiaofei did today. Taiwanese media reported that Barbie Hsu passed away, and Wang Xiaofei changed his profile picture to black. But now he has changed it again to a picture with his daughter. He was deceitful and pretentious when Barbie Hsu was alive. Zhang Lan (his mother) and Wang Xiaofei bullied Barbie Hsu and made her and the children suffer. Do they really expect people to believe they are mourning her now?“
Barbie Hsu and Wang Xiaofei announced their divorce in October 2021 after more than 10 years of marriage, with their two children living with Barbie Hsu in Taiwan. Their divorce was far from amicable, involving multiple lawsuits and public disputes. Barbie Hsu accused Wang Xiaofei of domestic violence, infidelity and reckless behavior, which ultimately led to their marriage’s downfall. She also claimed that Zhang Lan—Wang Xiaofei’s mother—was aware of his affairs but turned a blind eye, even maintaining a relationship with his mistress.
Following Barbie Hsu’s passing, it is highly likely that her two children with Wang Xiaofei will be taken to Beijing to be cared for by their paternal family