Taipei, Taiwan – A dispute over attendance at the upcoming memorial service for Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yuan Wei-ren has erupted between his family and his former wife, Lu Yuan-qi. Lu revealed on social media that Yuan’s family has explicitly forbidden her from attending the service, a decision she publicly denounced as lacking in basic decency.
Yuan Wei-ren, known professionally as “Little Fat Teacher,” died on February 2nd at the age of 57 after an illness. According to reports, the family intends to hold the funeral on March 10th at the Wai’ai Hall in Taipei, with many figures from the music industry expected to attend.
Lu Yuan-qi detailed in a series of posts that the request to stay away was communicated to her *through* her children, a method she found particularly hurtful. “They asked my children to tell me not to reach,” she wrote, questioning the family’s “moral character.” She further stated that those blocking her attendance were also responsible for the breakdown of her marriage to Yuan, adding, “Have they ever considered what they did wrong?”
The situation has drawn significant attention in Taiwanese media, with news outlets reporting on Lu’s accusations and the family’s apparent attempt to control who pays their respects to the late musician. Lu questioned the logic of barring her from the service, suggesting that if her presence is deemed disruptive, she should be the one to prevent her children from attending.
Yuan Wei-ren rose to prominence as part of the duo “Humans,” winning consecutive Best Performing Group awards at the Golden Melody Awards in 1999 and 2000. He later transitioned to a role as a judge on singing competition shows. Following his death, numerous musicians, including Huang Yun-ling, Chen Tzu-hong, and Yu Hong-ming, have publicly mourned his passing. Mo Fan, Yuan’s former musical partner in “Humans,” posted a message of remembrance, stating, “Rest in peace, my partner.”
The controversy surrounding Yuan’s memorial service comes as another musician, Fan Tsung-pei, is also preparing for a funeral service following his death from a heart attack. Fan’s service is scheduled for February 27th, one week prior to Yuan’s, and will also be held at the Wai’ai Hall.
As of today, February 13th, it remains unclear whether Lu Yuan-qi will be permitted to attend her former husband’s funeral. The Yuan family has not yet publicly responded to her accusations.
