Bling Empire star Anna Shay passes away at 62

We have some sad news to share with Bling Empire fans. Star Anna Shay has died at 62. Shay was one of the most popular members of the Netflix reality show, which premiered in 2021 and ran for two seasons before being canceled. She immediately became a breakout on the show and a fan-favorite castmate.

Bling Empire also starred Gabriel and Christine Chu, Jaime Xie, Kane Lim, Kim Lee, Kevin Kreider, and more. The show was meant to be a real-life version of Crazy Rich Asians, following Asian Americans in Los Angeles.

People Magazine obtained an exclusive confirming that Shay died on Monday, June 5, 2023, from a fatal stroke.

In a statement shared with the media, Shay’s family said:

"“It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away at the early age of 62 from a stroke. Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten.”"

As one of the wealthiest cast members on the show, if not the richest, there was a lot of intrigue over where her family’s wealth came from.

During the first season, Shay introduced her family by stating that her father was in the weapons business. her co-star, Kane Lim, added to this in one of his confessionals, saying her dad sold “bombs, guns, defense technology — and it’s worth, like, a few billion.” Shay’s net worth was estimated to be around $600 million during the first season.

Shay was born to businessman Edward Shay and Ai Oizumi Shay. Her father founded the global defense contractor Pacific Architects and Engineers. On the show, her family’s wealth was often a topic of conversation, and fans were curious about where her family’s money came from.

Bling Empire star Anna Shay passes away at 62

Shay has a large social media following but wasn’t super active on Instagram. Her last post was a holiday photo shared in December 2022 in which she wishes everyone a happy holiday and offers a special thanks to Netflix.

In addition to the reality series on Netflix, the heiress was also known for her philanthropy. She leaves behind one son, 29-year-old Kenny Kemp, who briefly appeared on the reality series.

Even though Netflix has confirmed that Bling Empire will not return, you can revisit the two seasons on Netflix now in honor of Shay’s memory.