Anna Shay (December 31, 1960 – June 5, 2023) was a Japanese-born American socialite and television personality. She was best known as a cast member on Netflix's reality television series Bling Empire.
Early life[]
Anna Shay was born in Tokyo, Japan, on December 31, 1960, the first of two children to Edward Albert Shay, an American businessman, from the Southside of Chicago, who founded the leading global defense contractor, Pacific Architects and Engineers, in 1955, and Ai Oizumi "Ai-San" Shay, a part-Japanese, part-Russian businesswoman, who came from Russian aristocracy. She had a younger brother called Allen. Shay also had a maternal older half-brother called Jun.
Shay was educated at a Catholic Primary School, and graduated from the University of California.
Career[]
Shay was expected not to work while her parents were still alive. Her father died in 1995. Her mother died on September 23, 2005. She was 92.
Shay worked for the Shay Foundation, a program focusing on education, arts, performing arts and music, which was founded by her late parents.
Shay and her younger brother, Allen, sold their father's company, Pacific Architects and Engineers, on August 16, 2006, to Lockheed Martin, in an all-cash $1.2 billion deal.
Shay previously served as a board member for the George Lopez Foundation, which raises awareness about kidney disease and organ donation.
Shay made her television debut on January 15, 2021, as an original cast member on the Netflix reality television series Bling Empire. She quickly became a fan-favorite, and was often named a breakout star. The second season premiered on May 13, 2022. The third season premiered on October 5, 2022.
Social media[]
Shay joined Instagram in October 2018. Less than a week after the release of Bling Empire's first season, Shay had reached 201k followers. At the time of her death, Shay had amassed 508k followers.
Personal life[]
Shay kept her personal life closely guarded.
Shay's birthday had always been reported to be December 31. However, Shay would thank family, friends and fans, via social media, on January 31.
Shay was married and divorced four times. Three of her former husbands had never been named, and each divorce was amicable. One of her ex-husbands was from Ireland.
Shay's marriage to Ken Kemp resulted in the birth of her only son, Kenneth "Kenny" Edward Shay-Kemp, who was born in 1993. BuzzFeed News published a special story about him on February 12, 2015. He made a guest appearance during the fourth episode in the first season of Bling Empire.
Shay's Sunset Boulevard mansion, which was seen on Bling Empire, sold for $13.8 million in 2021. She bought the property in 2009 for $9.4 million.
Death[]
Shay died from a stroke on June 5, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California. She was 62.
Shay's death was confirmed by her family in a statement to People magazine: "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 not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten."
Shay's Bling Empire co-stars Cherie Chan, Christine Chiu, Kevin Kreider, Kim Lee, Kane Lim, Kelly Mi Li, Jaime Xie, Guy Tang, Mimi Morris and Dorothy Wang paid tribute on social media. Jeff Jenkins, the show's executive producer, led the tributes.