HK actor Ai Wai says wife has died at 61, over a week after plea for liver donor
Hong Kong actor Ai Wai is grieving the death of his wife Lisa Chan who passed away on May 18 at the age of 61 from liver disease while awaiting a transplant.
In a Facebook post, Ai Wai, 66, shared a photo of his hand holding Chan's, alongside a caption that read: 'Although we'll no longer argue about which route to take while driving, how many minutes it takes to steam a fish or whether the gravy for the spinach is too salty … Lisa, I know that you're very tired. Please rest well.'
Chan's death comes just over a week after Ai Wai made a public plea on Facebook for a living liver donor with type O+ blood.
At the time, the former TVB star revealed that his wife had been placed on the liver transplant waiting list two months earlier, but no suitable donor had been found.
'Now, all I can do is give my best and appeal to anyone who's willing to help by becoming a donor,' he wrote then.
According to reports, Chan had been battling polycystic liver and kidney disease for years and underwent a surgery in 2015 to remove a 6kg uterine tumour.
Her condition worsened two months ago when she developed jaundice and swelling. She was later moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) after contracting a bacterial infection and suffering a buildup of toxins in her body.
Hoping to lift her spirits, Ai Wai reached out to fellow actor Michael Miu for help in contacting Chan's idol Chow Yun Fat, who later visited her in the hospital.
She sadly succumbed to her illness at around 1pm on May 18.
Ai Wai and Chan married in 2002. They separated in 2020 due to her mahjong addiction but reconciled two years later.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Meet the jewellery designer dazzling the reality TV world – one ring at a time
Eagle-eyed Bravo viewers may know him as the man behind three different Vanderpump Rules engagement rings, or as the beleaguered best friend of disgraced reality television villain Tom Sandoval. But when Kyle Chan started selling handmade jewellery at the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk in 2010, he had no idea that he would one day parlay his small stall into a luxury jewellery business famous for its connection to the world of reality stars. Chan immigrated from Hong Kong to the US when he was 13, and started making jewellery after taking a class in high school. 'I fell in love with it, but I just didn't have the money to continue, so I started all kinds of odd jobs,' Chan said in a phone interview. 'I was a waiter. I was working at an airline. I did hair and makeup.' Eventually, he scored a job at a small jewellery boutique, which he managed for seven years before moving into wholesale. Then, in the early 2010s, he met Kyle Richards, the longtime star of the Bravo reality show The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills . It was then that his career really took off. 'She and her four daughters would always go to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market, so that's how I met her,' Chan said. 'She was very kind, and she would buy my jewellery, even though I would insist I'd give it to her for free. But she said, 'No, no, no, I'd like to buy it, I want to show support.'' Read more: 'Doing what I love': Malaysian fashion designer Zang Toi is living his best life Kyle Chan immigrated from Hong Kong to the US when he was 13, and started making jewellery after taking a class in high school. Photo: Instagram/Kyle Chan Design Richards started wearing his pieces on the show, which premiered in October 2010, and posting about them to her millions of followers. When he graduated from making silver and gold-filled pieces into more luxury fare, she began carrying his designs at her since-shuttered Beverly Hills boutique, Kyle By Alene Too. Miley Cyrus, who Chan said was a frequent visitor at one of the small boutiques where his pieces were sold, also wore some of his designs. 'I told the sales girl, 'Whenever a celebrity comes by, whatever they want, they can take it, right?'' Chan said. 'But they said that Miley insisted on paying for everything.' Since then, Chan's work has been sold at more than 300 retail boutiques worldwide, and he's appeared on two Bravo shows and a Netflix show called Bling Empire . In 2021, he opened his flagship boutique, Kyle Chan Design, in Beverly Grove. Celebrities like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Beyonce have worn his jewellery, and he designed a pair of earrings and a necklace worn by Emma Stone in La La Land . Much of Chan's initial success can be attributed to his connection to the reality television world. After meeting Richards, he ran into the cast of Vanderpump Rules at the opening of Pump Restaurant in West Hollywood in 2014. The show, which followed a cast of outrageously behaved 20-something servers at Sur, a restaurant owned by Lisa Vanderpump, known for her role in Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills , had just hit the air. 'I told them, 'If you need jewellery for season two, I can help,'' he said. 'So they would wear a few of my pieces. Back then, it was nothing expensive.' When members of the Vanderpump Rules cast started getting engaged, Chan designed custom rings for two of its biggest couples: Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney, and Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright (both couples have since filed for divorce). On a recent episode of the Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley , Chan was revealed to be the jeweller behind cast member Kristen Doute's engagement ring. Although they began as professional connections, many Bravo stars have become like family, Chan said. He said he was particularly close with Luke Broderick, Doute's fiance and co-star on The Valley, as well as with Sandoval, a Vanderpump Rules star who, in 2023, was revealed to have cheated on his girlfriend with a mutual friend in what was quickly nicknamed 'Scandoval'. When Sandoval fell out with many of his longtime friends over the affair, Chan was frequently filmed showing up to his parties and playing the role of supportive bestie. 'People will always just go, 'Why is he everywhere?'' Chan said, referring to his reality television ubiquity. 'And I'm like, 'I just happen to be friends with them.'' In addition to his reality television connections, Chan's unique approach to marketing has allowed him to stand out in the old-fashioned world of jewellery sales. Read more: Fashion fabulosity: Sly Stone didn't just change music – he changed style too 'I have this vision of celebrity-driven marketing, because I believe in marketing,' Chan said. 'When I was working at retail and wholesale, I realised that a lot of jewellery stores worked their whole lives struggling and had no identity because they just needed to get by. "Anytime when there's an economic crisis or anything, jewellery stores are always the first to suffer.' Chan did not want his business to endure a similar fate, and saw his celebrity customers as a unique way to grow his empire. His approach to luxury jewellery is loud, as opposed to the quiet luxury trend of recent years, and on his website, you can shop for pieces by which celebrity has worn them, including Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Nicki Minaj. His next project, a bedazzled bottle of whiskey he will be releasing in collaboration with the brand Gold Bar, is equally flashy. Despite all of the celebrity connections, Chan believes his success can be largely attributed to not letting Hollywood change him. 'All these years, I just choose to stay true to myself and be genuine and people can feel it and it's contagious,' he said. 'When I see a good person, I collect them, and I keep them in my orbit.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
HAWANA 2025 bolsters media's role in promoting information literacy
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2025 celebration, which kicks off today for a three-day run, serves as a platform to bolster the media's role in promoting information literacy, while also strengthening public engagement through a range of educational, entertainment and interactive activities. Communications Ministry deputy secretary-general (Telecommunication Infrastructure) Mano Verabathran said HAWANA is not just a platform to recognise media practitioners for delivering accurate information, but also affirms the media's role as a public education agent in an era of information overload. 'We need to educate the public on various issues related to media and information dissemination, including the importance of media literacy, fact-checking, and the dangers of spreading false information which could affect social harmony and national security,' he said when launching the HAWANA 2025 Carnival at Sunway Putra Mall here. Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and its editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is also HAWANA 2025 project director. Mano said that since its inception in 2018, HAWANA has stood as a symbol of recognition for the vital role journalists play in shaping public opinion, defending freedom of expression, and articulating the aspirations of society. 'I would like to extend my congratulations to the organisers, particularly the Communications Ministry and Bernama, for their continued commitment to empowering journalism in Malaysia through inclusive and innovative approaches,' he said. Additionally, Mano said Bernama's fact-checking desk (MyCheck Malaysia) is an independent initiative by the news agency to educate the public on media literacy, with a focus on issues that impact people's lives and livelihoods. 'More than 400 fact-checking reports have been produced since 2020 and can be read at MyCheck reports are also published on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok,' he said. The three-day HAWANA 2025 Carnival features activities such as casual talks with agencies, quizzes, performances by invited artistes, colouring sessions, meet & greet events, as well as forums and workshops on creative writing, photography, podcasting, and media literacy, targeting teenagers and senior citizens. At the media interactive zone, visitors can experience the world of broadcasting through booths by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), Media Prima Berhad, Astro and TV AlHijrah, as well as live crossovers via the HAWANA Mini Studio by Bernama TV, the 'Breaking News' interactive game by Bernama Radio, and the 'Kempen Internet Selamat' exhibition by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The exhibition and interactive booths also showcase digital broadcasting technology by the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group, photo book sales, and media archives. The carnival is also joined by government agencies such as the Information Department and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), along with stalls run by young entrepreneurs and a community market involving media cooperatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalist alumni. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to launch the main event of HAWANA 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) tomorrow.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
HAWANA 2025: Celebrating Media Literacy at Sunway Putra
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2025 celebration, which kicks off today for a three-day run, serves as a platform to bolster the media's role in promoting information literacy, while also strengthening public engagement through a range of educational, entertainment and interactive activities. Communications Ministry deputy secretary-general (Telecommunication Infrastructure) Mano Verabathran said HAWANA is not just a platform to recognise media practitioners for delivering accurate information, but also affirms the media's role as a public education agent in an era of information overload. 'We need to educate the public on various issues related to media and information dissemination, including the importance of media literacy, fact-checking, and the dangers of spreading false information which could affect social harmony and national security,' he said when launching the HAWANA 2025 Carnival at Sunway Putra Mall here. Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and its editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is also HAWANA 2025 project director. Mano said that since its inception in 2018, HAWANA has stood as a symbol of recognition for the vital role journalists play in shaping public opinion, defending freedom of expression, and articulating the aspirations of society. 'I would like to extend my congratulations to the organisers, particularly the Communications Ministry and Bernama, for their continued commitment to empowering journalism in Malaysia through inclusive and innovative approaches,' he said. Additionally, Mano said Bernama's fact-checking desk (MyCheck Malaysia) is an independent initiative by the news agency to educate the public on media literacy, with a focus on issues that impact people's lives and livelihoods. 'More than 400 fact-checking reports have been produced since 2020 and can be read at MyCheck reports are also published on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok,' he said. The three-day HAWANA 2025 Carnival features activities such as casual talks with agencies, quizzes, performances by invited artistes, colouring sessions, meet & greet events, as well as forums and workshops on creative writing, photography, podcasting, and media literacy, targeting teenagers and senior citizens. At the media interactive zone, visitors can experience the world of broadcasting through booths by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), Media Prima Berhad, Astro and TV AlHijrah, as well as live crossovers via the HAWANA Mini Studio by Bernama TV, the 'Breaking News' interactive game by Bernama Radio, and the 'Kempen Internet Selamat' exhibition by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The exhibition and interactive booths also showcase digital broadcasting technology by the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group, photo book sales, and media archives. The carnival is also joined by government agencies such as the Information Department and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), along with stalls run by young entrepreneurs and a community market involving media cooperatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalist alumni. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to launch the main event of HAWANA 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) tomorrow.
