Rina Gunawan, one of Indonesia’s best known presenter-turned-entrepreneurs, passed away yesterday evening at a hospital in South Jakarta. She was 46 years old.
Rina’s husband, actor Teddy Syach, said that she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and had been treated in the ICU for her breathing difficulties around a week prior to her death. She was buried this morning at Tanah Kusir cemetery in South Jakarta with COVID-19 protocols.
“Because she has congenital diseases of sinusitis, she also had difficulty breathing, asthma. So when she got COVID-19, it was hard for her, we were separated for a week,” Teddy told reporters at the cemetery today.
“We still don’t know exactly because she initially tested negative [for coronavirus], then she tested positive two days later. I didn’t know [when she tested positive]. It can only be answered by the medical team.”
Born Rina Mustikana Gumilang Gunawan in Bandung, West Java, she started her career in entertainment as a singer in the mid-’90s. Rina rose to mainstream recognition when she began hosting television talk shows such as Campur-Campur, On Air, Anda Meminta Kami Memutar, and Ruming, which she co-hosted with actor/comedian Aming.
In addition to hosting, Rina also starred in several sinetron (soap operas) such as Erte Erwe (short for Complicated Household), Mat Angin, Pat Pat Gulipat, and guest-starred on one of Indonesia’s most loved series, Si Doel Anak Sekolahan. Aside from her entertainment career, Rina was also known for her wedding and event organizer company, which she started in the early ‘90s.
