Author Chiung Yao Committed Suicide at 86 Years Old
Taiwanese writer and film producer Chiung Yao (瓊瑤), 86, died in her home in Tamsui, Taiwan on December 4, 2024. She was suspected to have committed suicide by burning charcoal at her bedside. The news shocked everyone from all walks of life, especially the artistes whom had starred in her productions. Chiung Yao wrote countless classic novels throughout her life; many of which were adapted into television dramas and movies which were beloved with audiences globally.
Chiung Yao’s real name was Chen Che (陳喆). She was born in Chengdu, Sichuan and grew up in Taiwan. She graduated from Taipei City North No. 2 Girls’ High School (now known as Zhongshan Girls’ High School). Inheriting her parents’ literary talent, Chiung Yao’s father was a professor in the Chinese Department of National Taiwan Normal University and her mother was a Chinese teacher at Jianguo Middle School. She started writing at the age of nine and had published a total of 65 books. Her romance novels were often melodramatic in which the leads had to overcome significant obstacles in their love.
Chiung Yao’s book Four Loves <婉君表妹> was the first to be adapted into a movie in 1964 and achieved box office success. She made her first foray into the television industry in the 1980s and filmed a series of ‘Chiung Yao TV series’. In the 1990s, the My Fair Princess <還珠格格> trilogy was a huge hit and made many actors and actresses into big stars, including Brigitte Lin (林青霞), Chin Han (秦漢), Steve Ma (馬景濤), Hsu Nai Lin (徐乃麟), Yue Ling (岳翎), Grace Yu (俞小凡), Ruby Lin (林心如), Vicki Zhao (趙薇).
Chiung Yao’s love life was as exciting as the novels she wrote. She married her first husband, Ma Senqing (馬森慶), in 1959 but it only lasted five years. Later, she had an extramarital affair with Ping Xintao (平鑫濤), the head of Crown Culture, for eight years before getting married. The couple had a son and her daughter-in-law, He Xiuqiong (何琇瓊) who later served as the producer of the film and television series adapted from her novels.
One week before her suicide, Chiung Yao made several social media posts. One was a tribute to her late husband. In her second post, Chiung Yao expressed her intent to avoid “weakness, deterioration, illness, hospital visits, treatment, and lingering suffering.”
Source: [1]
This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.
Her son was from her first marriage. She never had any children with her second husband, whom she was openly involved with for years while he was still married. Her first relationship was with her teacher but was separated when discovered.
Unsure if she had an incurable illness which led to her action or she did so as she didn’t want to go through ageing process of weakening or other reason.
I think it’s the latter reason. Her late husband was hospitalised and only kept alive by life support equipment. Qiong Yao wanted to stop the life support and let her husband die naturally. But, his children refused. After her husband’s death, she has been very vocal in support of legalising euthanasia. I think seeing the helpless condition of her late husband made not want to go through it herself.
I’m a supporter for euthanasia that is governed properly.
Individual on life support or diagnosed with incurable neurodegenerative illness where the individual will not only end up relying on another to move, some even cannot talk or communicate as the illness affects the individual to remember words, affects the vocal muscles, unable to move the whole body, unable to eat or drink but to rely on tubes for feeding but still fully conscious, these individuals should be allowed to end the suffering. Whoever decides that it is wrong to have the option of euthanasia is selfish and inhuman.
However if an elderly does not require assisted daily living, is not medically diagnosed to have an incurable illness then no reason for euthanasia to be given.
The UK is considering legalising euthanasia. I hope it will be in place by the time I need it in the future. I don’t know why we can’t go this way rather than suffering through terminal illnesses.