Taiwanese Actor Tang Zhi Ping Didn’t Know His Mum Had Killed Herself On Their Home’s Rooftop; Was Drunk When Police Showed Up

The mother of Taiwanese actor Ryan Tang Zhi Ping has been found dead in an apparent suicide on the rooftop of their Tamsui home in New Taipei City. She was 73.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Zhi Ping, who rose to fame with 2006 idol drama 花样少年少女 (Hanazakarino Kimitachihe), lived with his mother in a community building.

At 1pm on Jun 3, a resident went to the rooftop to hang clothes when she discovered a woman's body with a plastic bag over her head.

The resident immediately called the police.

Initial police investigations found no signs of external force, struggle or injury.

There was also no suicide note.

Police reviewed the surveillance footage and confirmed that the woman, surnamed Chen, was a resident of the building.

Footage showed that at around 1am on Jun 1, she left her home alone, carrying a blue chair and a yellow plastic bag, and took the elevator to the rooftop.

Her body was only discovered two days later.

It is understood that when the police went to Zhi Ping’s home to inform him of his mother’s death, the actor appeared intoxicated and spoke incoherently.

He was unaware that his mother wasn't home and showed no reaction when told of her death.

It wasn't until Zhi Ping had sobered up slightly that he was able to complete his statement to the police.

His cousin, surnamed Huang, was also brought in for questioning.

According to media reports, Zhi Ping's mother had no history of mental illness, and the actor had no comments on his mother's cause of death.

The intoxicated actor repeatedly denied that the deceased was his mother during identification, saying: "This is not my mother," and "How does she have the keys to my house?"

It was only with the help of his cousin that the identification process was completed. 

 Zhi Ping, who got his start in showbiz as a model, became a household name after starring in 2006 idol dramas like The Hospital and Hanazakarino Kimitachihe.

He was nominated for best actor in a television series at the 2021 Golden Bell Award for his role in drama My Beautiful Family, but has since disappeared from the limelight.

Zhi Ping has been out of work for the past three to four years and has reportedly been borrowing money from friends and relatives to make ends meet.

In 2021, he revealed that he was "millions of dollars" in debt.

According to reports, he lived with his mother in a rented house and had owed nearly six months in rent, totalling around NT$100K (S$4.2K).

Mother and son reportedly had a big argument over his unemployment just three days before her death.

If you or someone you know is struggling mentally, here are some numbers to call:
National Care Hotline: 6202-6868
Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800-283-7019
Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222