Anna Shay, Bling Empire Star, Dies at 62

September 2024 · 4 minute read

Anna Shay, who appeared in Netflix‘s “Bling Empire” reality show, has died after suffering a stroke, Variety has confirmed. 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. 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,” her family wrote in a statement to Variety on Monday.

Shay was born and raised in Japan to American businessman Edward Shay and half-Japanese, half-Russian Ai Oizumi Shay. Her father was the founder of the global defense contractor Pacific Architects and Engineers.

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After her father died in 1995, Shay’s brother Allen became CEO of Pacific Architects. In 2006, Shay and her brother sold the company to Lockheed Martin, making them heirs to the company fortune.

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Shay then became a star on Netflix’s reality TV series “Bling Empire” in 2021. She starred alongside Kane Lim, Gabriel and Christine Chiu, Kim Lee, Jaime Xie and other Asian American Los Angeles socialites. The show was often described as the real-life “Crazy Rich Asians”

“Shay says she thought about starring on ‘Bling Empire’ as doing something for herself, after spending years looking after her son, in the wake of her parents’ deaths,” Town & Country wrote of her in a 2021 profile.

“Bling Empire” co-star Kevin Kreider paid tribute to Shay on Instagram: “You never know when your last goodbye will be. So unexpected and wished when I saw you last for lunch I would have taken a moment to smell the roses and had one last adventure with you.”

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Co-star Kim Lee said in a statement to Variety, “This is such a huge shock. I have so much love for Anna. I know that we had issues on the show but in real life, I had such a great connection with her outside of the show. We saw eye to eye, and she gave me so many words of wisdom I will never forget. There’s no one like Anna Shay; she’s an incredible and unique person who was beloved by so many people. My thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.”

Shay is survived by her son Kenny Kemp.

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