Veteran actress Barbara Chan has died at the age of 65 after enduring years of heartbreaking personal loss, including the deaths of her young son and husband due to serious illnesses.
On June 14, Chinese media outlet Sohu reported that Barbara Chan had died after more than two weeks in a coma caused by serious health complications. According to reports, the veteran actress had undergone emergency surgery in 2025 due to worsening medical problems. Her two children shared that they plan to hold a private memorial service for their mother.
Barbara Chan’s sudden passing has left both the public and people in the entertainment industry in shock. The actress was one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable stars in the 1980s and 1990s. Although younger audiences today may be less familiar with her work, she was once considered one of TVB’s leading actresses during the peak of her career.
During her career as an actress, Barbara Chan often worked alongside stars such as Felix Wong and Andy Lau. Upon hearing the news of his passing, Felix Wong expressed deep sadness, revealing that the last time he saw Barbara Chan was during a meet-up with friends earlier this year. According to him, he had lost weight significantly, although at that time his health and mood still seemed stable.
Barbara Chan was married to actor Liu Kai Chi, best known for playing Gongsun Ce Justice Bao. The couple had long been seen as one of Hong Kong entertainment’s model celebrity marriages. In 2020, Liu Kai Chi was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer and he was reportedly told he had only a few months to live. He ultimately died from the disease in March 2021.
The loss of her husband dealt a devastating emotional blow to Barbara Chan, especially after she had already suffered another unimaginable tragedy years earlier. In 2006, the actress lost her youngest son, Liu Man Lok, at the age of six following his battle with leukemia. He was first diagnosed with blood cancer when he was just three years old.
Overcome with grief after losing her husband, Barbara Chan she reportedly discarded most of Liu Kai Chi’s belongings, choosing to keep only a small bag he had once given her. It it reportedly took the actress years to recover emotionally from his passing.
Barbara Chan’s death comes at a particularly painful time for Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. In the space of just ten days three well-known public figures did it reportedly dead, including veteran entertainer Chung King Fai, beauty queen actress Ng Man Yan and now Barbara Chan.
Sources: K14
