Billionaire ‘Bling Empire’ Star Anna Shay Found Dead
Billionaire ‘Bling Empire’ Star Anna Shay Found Dead
Bling Empire star, Anna Shay, passed away unexpectedly from a stroke on Monday. She was 62.
“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 a statement, obtained by PEOPLE. “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.”
Shay was the matriarch of the hit Netflix series, which premiered in 2021.
“Anna Shay is half-Japanese and half-Russian and super, super wealthy,” Kane Lim said during a Season 1 confessional.
Fans became more intrigued by the mysterious origin of her family’s wealth, as the show gained popularity. Shay’s father founded Pacific Architects and Engineers — a global contracting business for American defense services dating back to the 1960s, per a NBC report.
Shay previously told PEOPLE that she was surprised by Bling Empire’s success.
“I wasn’t even expecting to be in front of the camera,” she said. “I’m very shy and I went along with whatever situation was happening. I was just being me.”
The show documented the lives of wealthy East and Southeast Asian Americans in Los Angeles. Bling Empire ran for three seasons.
During the most recent season, which premiered last October, Shay advised her younger cast mates that “there are more things in life than superficial bulls–t,” amid the group’s rise to fame.
She most recently connected with fans in December 2022, wishing her followers a happy holiday season on Instagram.
“May all your dreams come true,” she captioned the December snap.
Shay added — “And a very special Thank you to all at the Netflix.”
The reality star is survived by her 29-year-old son, Kenny Kemp. The family’s statement also refers to Shay’s grandchildren, but their identities have not been made public.
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Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.