New York, dies after brain surgery following skiing accident

Jewelry designer Lynn Ban, who starred in the Netflix reality series “Bling Empire: New York,” died weeks after undergoing emergency brain surgery due to a skiing accident, a his son announced on Wednesday.

“She always had a smile on her face, even when times were tough during her healing process,” her son, Sebastian, wrote on Instagram. “She was a fighter to the end and she is the strongest woman I know.”

Ban shared last month that she was in Aspen on vacation with her family when she fell while skiing on Christmas Eve. She was initially cleared by ski patrollers, but wrote on social media that she began experiencing headaches later in the day.

A paramedic suggested she have a scan, which revealed she had suffered a brain hemorrhage.

Her son did not reveal the cause of death, but said she died on Monday and wanted fans to know. The post announcing his death included a series of photos of the Ban family with a moving tribute written by Ban’s son.

“As a last message to my mother, I just want to say that I will miss you forever and to end with something she always told me ‘I love you more than life itself’, mom “, he wrote.

“Bling Empire: New York” was a spin-off of the popular Netflix reality series “Bling Empire,” which followed a group of wealthy Asian American socialites living in Los Angeles.

The spin-off maintained the same premise, but for those living in New York.

Dorothy Wang, another star of “Bling Empire: New York,” wrote a comment saying Ban lit up every time she talked about her son.

“Yes, she loved his fashion and his look, but what mattered most to her was always you and your father, her tribe,” Wang said. “We are all heartbroken.”

Ban, who was born in Singapore, owned a private jewelry brand called Lynn Ban Jewelry that catered to many celebrities, including Rihanna and Lady Gaga, according to her website. Beyoncé wore some of Ban’s designs during the Vogue 2018 photoshoot for the magazine’s popular September issue.

Rihanna also mourned Ban, saying in the comments of the Instagram post that she was in disbelief.

“It’s too much!!!” Rihanna wrote from her verified account. “Lynn, you will always be our fairy godmother! I love you forever and always!”

Drena De Niro, the adopted daughter of actor Robert De Niro, offered her condolences to Ban’s son and husband. She wrote that she “absolutely adored” Ban.

“She was a wonderful person, extremely talented, generous, warm and beautiful both inside and out,” De Niro wrote. “My son Leo loved her and her jewelry.”

Her business partner, Jett Kain, was also her husband. In August, she shared an Instagram post celebrating her 30th anniversary with Kain, who she joked was her “favorite photographer.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com