Anna Shay, who inherited a fortune from her father and rose to fame on Bling Empire, passed away on June 5 after suffering a stroke. She was just 62 years old at the time of her death, which was confirmed by her family in a statement obtained by several outlets, including TODAY.com and Associated Press.
“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,” the statement read. She was at her $5.75 million home in Beverly Hills, California – which she purchased back in 2020.
“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,” the statement continued. Her death was met with various heartwarming tributes from friends, family members, colleagues, co-stars, and fans.
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Anna Shay was born into a wealthy family – her father, Edward Albert Shay, was the ‘billionaire founder of the defense and government services contractor,’ according to the Associated Press. She inherited her father’s company – along with her younger brother, Allen Shay – and sold it in 2006 for $1.2 billion cash.
Over the past two decades, Anna Shay has committed herself to philanthropy and charity – primarily through her work with the Shay Foundation (which was founded by her parents) and the George Lopez Foundation ( she served as a board member). Of course, she was also known for her lavish lifestyle.
That lavish lifestyle was put on full display in Bling Empire, a reality TV show that followed a group of wealthy East and Southeast Asian Asian-Americans. The show debuted with its first season on January 15, 2021 and was followed by Season Two on May 13, 2022 and Season Three on October 5, 2022.
While it was her lavish lifestyle that drew attention, it was her loving, mother-like persona that fans flocked to – ultimately resulting in her being a fan-favorite on the show. Unfortunately, her death came as a huge surprise as she kept her life as private as possible and didn’t talk about her health struggles publicly.
Anna Shay Receives a Flurry of Tributes Online
Anna Shay was beloved by just about everyone she came in contact with – she was a hard person to hate and was often making the most of every situation. That’s why it came as no surprise when her family, friends, co-stars, colleagues, and fans flooded the internet with tributes honoring her life and career.
“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,” said co-star, Kim Lee – while Kelly Mi Li (another co-star) described her as ‘one-of-a-kind’ and expressed how she’ll be missed forever.
“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,” wrote Kevin Kreider (yet another co-star). Kreider’s girlfriend, Devon Diep, thanked Anna for her ‘kind heart and delicious dim sum’ when they hung out last.
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Anna Shay leaves behind one son – Kenneth “Kenny” Edward Shay-Kemp – who she shared with her ex-husband, Ken Kemp. She was married and divorced four times in her life and was single at the time of her death. She’ll be greatly missed, but you can always watch her in Seasons 1-3 of Bling Empire.
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