Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who starred in Mulan and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, has died aged 48, her siblings announced on Wednesday.
Her older sisters, Carol and Nancy, said in their statement that Coco had battled depression for several years and her condition had deteriorated drastically over the last few months.
They shared: “Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
Her sister said Coco had attempted suicide at home over the weekend and was rushed to a hospital. They said that she was in a coma and died on Wednesday.
Coco was born in Hong Kong but later moved to the US. She had a highly successful career in Asia as a pop singer in the 1990s and 2000s, where she was known for her powerful voice and live performances.
She was the voice of Mulan in the Mandarin version of the Disney film, and also sang the Mandarin version of the movie’s theme song Reflection.
She was also recognised for singing A Love Before Time on the 2000 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
In 2011, Lee married Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who is the former CEO of Hong Kong supply chain company Li & Fung.
While she had two stepdaughters from her marriage with Rockowitz, Lee didn’t have children of her own.
Her sisters concluded in their statement: “Coco is known to have worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese. We are proud of her!”
Following the sad news of her death, tributes have been pouring in on social media.
One Twitter user said: “Thank you for the music. RIP Coco Lee.”
Another echoed: “Damn — news of Coco Lee’s death really is doing something to me. She was a true solid global popstar for Asians around the world. The early representation she gave. What a loss. I hope her spirit finds peace.”
And a third wrote: “Heartbreaking. Rest in peace.”
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