KUALA LUMPUR: Beijing health authorities are investigating the leak of a medical report of the late Hong Kong actress Kathy Chow Hoi-Mei. Chow died at the age of 57 on Monday and the news was announced by her studio on Tuesday night.
The report was alleged to have come from the emergency department of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Shunyi district. According to entertainment portal AsiaOne and Chinese publication Red Star News, the hospital confirmed it to be genuine and added that it was investigating the leak.
The Beijing Shunyi District Health Commission also said that it has launched an investigation into the leak. According to the medical report, Chow was conveyed to the hospital unconscious on the morning of Dec 11.
Following the news of Chow's death, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing took to Weibo to pay tribute to her. "The memories of working with Kathy on the series The Empress Of China 10 years ago are still vivid in my mind," the 42-year-old shared.
She added that after 229 days of filming together, she was "impressed by Kathy's professionalism." "The moment I saw the news, I felt deeply saddened. Kathy, have a good journey!"
Fan was the producer and lead actress for the 2014 drama, where she played the titular character Empress Wu. Taiwanese actress Janine Chang also shared on Weibo: "I never thought I would be able to meet Kathy.
"Because of my work, I was lucky enough to meet Kathy in The Empress Of China. She was polite, upright, cute and professional." She added that she would miss Chow's hearty laughter and believed that she would have the same smile in the afterlife.
"Thank you for bringing so many beautiful stories to Chinese film and television." Hong Kong-based Malaysian actor Aarif Rahman wrote on Weibo: "I will always remember your cheerfulness and the warmth you brought to those around you.
"Thank you for bringing us so many characters, memories and joy. Have a good journey, Kathy." Singaporean actor Guo Liang recalled: "Kathy had no airs about her and was very approachable. She was very cheerful and relaxed on set, and quickly got into the groove of acting."
Chow was a Miss Hong Kong pageant participant in 1985 and subsequently acted in TVB dramas in the 1980s and 1990s. She is best known for playing Zhou Zhiruo in the 1994 Taiwanese adaptation of The Heavenly Sword And Dragon Sabre.
Her latest roles were in the 2020 Chinese drama I Really Like You and 2022 movie Army Soul Of The Han Dynasty.