Paul Dailly
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Tragic news out of the reality TV world today as it has been revealed that Bling Empire scene stealer Anna Shay has died.
Shay was 62.
According to a statement shared with various media outlets Monday afternoon, Shay passed away from a stroke.
“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,” the statement reads.
“Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things.”
“Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten,” her family wrote in a statement to Variety on Monday.
Shay first appeared on the Netflix reality series in 2021 and was an immediate favorite among the show’s passionate fanbase.
There was immediate intrigue in Shay’s past on the series as co-star Kane Lim described her as “half-Japanese and half-Russian and super, super wealthy,” while adding that her wealth stemmed from “weapons.”
Lim said that Shay’s father “sells bombs, guns, defense technology – and it’s worth, like, a few billion.”
Shay was not thrilled by that characterization and slammed her co-star in an interview with People.
“I asked [Lim], ‘Why did you say my dad was in arms?'” the late star recalled, adding:
“He goes, ‘I don’t know.’ He thought he knew, but maybe he didn’t know and was just guessing.”
Netflix canceled the Bling Empire franchise earlier this year with no plans to bring back the original series or its New York-set spinoff.
Shay’s co-star Kevin Kreider paid tribute to her on Instagram after news of her death broke.
“You never know when your last goodbye will be. So unexpected and wished when I saw you last for lunch I would have taken a moment to smell the roses and had one last adventure with you,” the statement reads.
May Anna Shay rest in peace.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.