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Bling Empire: New York star Lynn Ban has died a month after undergoing emergency brain surgery. She was 51.
The prominent jewelry designer’s death was confirmed by her teenage son Sebastian in an Instagram post shared Wednesday (January 22).
“My mum passed away on Monday. I know she wanted to share her journey after her accident and brain surgery, so I thought she would appreciate one last post sharing the news to people who supported her,” he wrote, alongside a carousel of photos.
“Many of you followed my mum but never got the chance to know her or meet her in person. I would like to take the chance to share who my mum really was,” he continued. “She was and always will be my best friend, the best mother to me, and someone who cared for all. She always had a smile on her face even when times were tough during her recovery process. She was a fighter until the end and is the strongest woman I know. She was the funniest and coolest mum I could ever ask for. She took care of me, my dad, and our Entire family throughout her whole life.”
He added: “Although she may be gone now, I will do everything I can to make sure she is never forgotten and for her life to be celebrated as it deserves to be. As a final message to my mum, I would just like to say that I will miss you forever and to end in something she always told me ‘I love you more than life itself’ mum.”
On Christmas Eve 2024, Ban was airlifted to a hospital after getting into a near-fatal ski accident in Aspen, Colorado. There, she underwent an emergency craniotomy to treat a brain bleed.
She revealed the news in an Instagram post at the time, saying: “At the top of the mountain I caught a tip and face plant. Luckily I always wear a helmet , It didn’t seem that bad at the time and I was able to ski to the bottom. Erring on the side of caution , I wanted to get checked out by ski patrol for a concussion . They assessed me and I was cleared. I had a bit of a headache but thought after lunch it would be fine and I could ski again . The paramedic suggested I go to the hospital for a cat scan . This saved my life.”
Ban explained that she and her husband, Jett Kain, went immediately to a hospital, where they were quickly informed she had a brain bleed and needed to be airlifted to a trauma hospital.
“Last thing I remember was being intubated and waking up after an emergency craniotomy with Jett by my side,” she wrote, sharing photos from the hospital bed.
Ban was best known for appearing in all eight episodes of Netflix’s one-season reality series Bling Empire: New York, which followed a group of wealthy Asian Americans living lavishly in New York City. She was also a jewelry designer and owner of Lynn Ban Jewelry. Many of her designs have been worn by the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé.
