Evergreen screen goddess Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, long retired to a life of luxury, has revealed she recently endured weeks of sleepless nights battling a full-scale cockroach invasion in her sprawling HK$1.1 billion Hong Kong super-mansion.
The 71-year-old icon described in a mainland column how a single roach she accidentally flung from a sixth-floor balcony triggered what became a relentless takeover.
Days later the insects reappeared in her study again and again, leaving the star jumping at shadows and checking corners mid-sentence while writing or painting.
Friends finally called in professional exterminators who sprayed the entire property.
That night the kitchen turned into a horror scene as dying cockroaches poured out in waves, forcing Lin and her domestic helper to sweep up the carnage in the small hours. After two more intensive treatments, the siege was finally lifted.
Even while holidaying in Hangzhou, she encountered another roach, only to watch a friend calmly trap and release it outside, an act of mercy that left Lin feeling briefly ashamed yet still declaring that, back home, any future intruder would face instant execution.
The palace-like residence in question was custom-built by her husband, businessman Michael Ying, as a combined 60th birthday and 20th wedding anniversary gift.
Purchased in 2006 and completed in 2014, the 50,000 sq ft hilltop estate on Fei Ngo Shan features panoramic Victoria Harbour views, a temperature-controlled pool, a private cinema, an art studio, a dance room, a full-size rooftop tennis court, and a vegetable patch where Lin grows produce for barbecues with friends.
