HK actress Bonnie Lai found dead at 46 after texting husband: 'See you in the next life'

Lim Ruey Yan
The Straits Times
Dec 27, 2023

Hong Kong actress Bonnie Lai, the former wife of martial artist and actor Ken Low, has died of suspected suicide at the age of 46.

According to Hong Kong media, she was found unconscious in her apartment in North Point by her husband, aesthetic doctor Angus Hui, at about 1pm on Dec 26. She was sent to the hospital and pronounced dead after emergency treatments.

The police are investigating the case as a suicide.

Hong Kong media said Lai had been suffering from depression for about 20 years and had been undergoing regular treatments.

Lai, who usually posted snippets of her life on social media, shared photos of a party with her friends and family on social media on Dec 25. However, Dr Hui received a WhatsApp message from her on Dec 26 morning, in which she reportedly wrote: “See you in the next life.” He rushed to her apartment and found her unconscious.

Her death was confirmed by Low, 64, when he was approached by Hong Kong media. Low, a former member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, said he last spoke to Lai by phone two weeks ago.

She joined the entertainment industry after taking part in the Miss Asia pageant in 1995, finishing as first runner-up to winner Kristy Yang.

Lai made her big-screen debut in the Hong Kong triad movie Young And Dangerous 3 (1996), in which she played the girlfriend of the triad leader portrayed by Hong Kong actor Simon Yam.

Her other notable role was in the Hong Kong horror movie Bio-Zombie (1998), where she played the wife of Hong Kong actor Wayne Lai’s character.

Bonnie Lai married Low in 1998 and they have two sons – Jacky, 24, and Jovan, 18. The couple divorced in 2006, with Low gaining custody of the children. Jacky appeared in the Thai romance movie The One You Love (2019), while Jovan is studying in Britain.

Lai left show business after marrying Dr Hui in 2007, and they have two sons - Aston, 16, and Martinus, 11. Their marriage was said to be on the rocks after their younger son was born in 2012, but there were no reports of marital woes in the last 10 years.

In recent years, she shared family photos often on social media, but had not posted any shots with Dr Hui in the past year. Their last photos together were posted during her birthday in July 2022.

She returned to acting in 2023, making a guest appearance as the wife of Hong Kong singer-actor Norman Cheung’s character in the ongoing Hong Kong legal drama Legal Affair (2023).

She opened a jewellery shop in June and announced on social media a month later that she had completed a coloured gem professional course. 

 

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