The Andy Lau Fan Who Drove Her Dad To Suicide 12 Years Ago Says She Now Regrets Being Obsessed With The Star

Here’s a name we never thought we would hear again. Yang Lijuan made headlines 12 years ago when her dad killed himself after spending all of his savings helping his daughter fulfill her dream of meeting her idol Andy Lau. The 68-year-old had also borrowed money, sold his house and even attempted to sell his kidney to raise funds for the then-28 Lijuan, who managed to score an invite to the Heavenly King’s birthday party organised by his fan club.

Though she got the chance to snap a pic with Andy, she was left disappointed when she didn’t get to speak to him and had no alone time with her idol. Her father felt so distraught by the outcome that he wrote a 12-page letter to Andy, chiding him for being cold to Lijuan. He then drowned himself. In his suicide note, he also said that it was now up to the star to arrange a private meeting with his daughter.

The tragic story was quickly picked up by the media and Lijuan was slammed for being unfilial. Andy also responded to the tragedy saying that he would not meet Lijuan because he had already done that at the fan meet. He also urged her to return to her hometown to live her own life.

Yesterday (Nov 4), Lijuan, who is now 40, gave an interview where she recalled her fan girl days. Her obsession with Andy started when she was 16. She didn’t finish high school and would spend her days cooped at home watching Andy Lau shows and collecting his memorabilia.

She now works at a supermarket and resides in Lanzhou where she leads a simple life. According to the interview, she pays just 1000 yuan (S$193) a year to rent the apartment she is living in.

Lijuan's apartment.

When asked about the tragedy and her obsession with Andy Lau, she said: “I really regret my actions in the past. If I could live my life over again, of course I’ll say that I would not do things that way.” She also added that she’s finally aware of her mistakes after everything she’s been through. When asked about her late dad, Lijuan says that he’s the best father there was and hopes that he will forgive her.

Her sentiments now are in contrast to an interview she gave last year where she said that she shouldn’t be held fully responsible for the tragedy. “When you like someone, you can’t say that you're at fault,” she said then.