‘Bling Empire’ star Anna Shay dead at 62, co-stars share heartfelt tributes

Bling Empire matriarch Anna Shay has died unexpectedly at the age of 62 from a stroke, her family said in a statement to People.

“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,” her family said in the statement. “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.”

Following the devastating news, Shay’s Bling Empire co-stars took to social media to pay tribute to the late star. 

Sharing a carousel of pictures of the two together, Kelly Mi Li wrote, “RIP @annashay93 you were truly one of a kind and we will miss you forever.”

Kim Lee shared a clip of a scene they shared on the reality show and captioned it, in part, “I can’t believe I’m writing this right now. Anna, we’re going to miss you… You will forever be missed.”

Fellow Bling Empire stars Kevin Kreider, Kane Lim, Dorothy Wang, and Jamie Xie, also shared similar sentiments. 

Christine Chiu, who Shay often butted heads with on the show, also took a moment to pay tribute. 

Shay appeared on all three seasons of the Netflix show — described as a real-life Crazy Rich Asians, centered on the lives of wealthy, materialistic East and Southeast Asian Americans, socialites based in the Los Angeles area — since its inaugural season in 2021 and quickly became a fan favorite.

Netflix canceled the show after three seasons, along with its spin-off, Bling Empire: New York, which aired for one season.