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Bling Empire star Anna Shay has died "unexpectedly" at the age of 62, her family has sadly confirmed.
Her family confirmed the tragic news in a statement with People, in which they paid tribute to the beloved mother, grandmother and Netflix star.
The statement read: "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 to not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but not forgotten."
The reality star became one of the fan-favourite cast members of Bling Empire, which follows the lives of a community of wealthy Asian friends.
Anna brought a no nonsense attitude to the show, often putting the younger cast members in their place – but always with a loving and nurturing tone.
The half-Japanese and half-Russian star didn't even know she'd end up on camera when she signed up for the show, first thinking that she was doing a behind the scenes role.
She previously told oprahMag.com: "The next thing I knew, I was sitting in front of the camera. I'm really quite shy, so it was hard. I never thought about doing this, especially at my age."
It was obvious that, like many of her co-stars, Anna didn't need to do the show for money – she was the daughter of billionaires Edward Shay and Ai-San Shay, after all.
Edward Shay made his fortune in the arms and defence technology trade, before he died in 1995. Anna's mother Ai-San Shay did in 2015.
It was estimated that Anna's net worth was around $600million (£435.2m), and she and her brother sold their shares in their father's company for a reported $1.2billion (£965m) in 2006.
While Anna did not share too much of her personal life with Netflix's cameras, her son Kenny Kemp did briefly appear.
Anna had been married and divorced four times, and while the other cast members' love lives often played a big role on the show, her scenes were normally far more light-hearted and cheeky.
The show launched in January 2021, before returning for two more seasons in May and October 2022.
It spawned a spin-off show Bling Empire: New York, which launched in January of this year.
It was later reported in April of this year that Bling Empire would not be getting a fourth season, however Bling Empire: New York would continue with a second season.
Bling Empire is available to stream on Netflix
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