Actress Barbie Hsu officially divorces Chinese husband Wang Xiaofei

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) and Chinese restaurateur Wang Xiaofei (汪小菲) officially announced their divorce Monday, stating that the decision was cordial and that they would be raising their two children together.

The announcement was issued by proxy through the former couple's legal counsel, filed by both Wang and Hsu, with the latter using her legal name, Hsu Shi-yuan.

In the declaration, Hsu and Wang thanked fans for their support and love, with the former couple acknowledging that fate had blessed them with a time of happiness, and that they were both grateful for each other even after deciding to part ways.

They said that while they walked hand-in-hand as husband and wife in the past, they would continue to enjoy a cordial relationship as friends as well as parents to their son and daughter in the future.

In the conclusion of their statement, both Hsu and Wang asked the media and their fans to respect their decision, and to give them space so as to prevent unnecessary attacks being directed at their families.

Hsu is perhaps best known internationally for her breakout role as Shan Cai in the 2001 Taiwanese romance TV series "Meteor Garden" (流星花園).

While Hsu was already an established singer and TV host alongside her younger sister Dee Hsu (徐熙娣), "Meteor Garden" took Hsu's and the show's male leads' careers to new heights.

Hsu met Wang in 2010 and famously got married to him after just four dates over 20 days.

However, in the years since their marriage, local media and tabloids have frequently reported on their relationship issues and suspected irreconcilable differences.

Hsu had previously claimed that she and Wang had gotten divorced in June, after Wang criticized Taiwan's COVID-19 response in posts on Chinese social media, which caused widespread outrage in Taiwan.

While Wang later apologized for his words and came to Taiwan in September, rumors of marital issues began swirling in October after Wang made changes to his personal status and the contents of his social media accounts upon his return to China.

Following the former couple's official split, Hsu, who had semi-retired from the entertainment industry after her marriage, has announced a full return to show business.

Local production company Catchplay confirmed that Hsu will be involved in her sister's upcoming talk show.