Coco Lee, Hong Kong-Born Singer, Dies at 48
Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born American singer-songwriter who won hearts as the voice of Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of the Disney film, died on Wednesday (July 5). She was 48 years old.
The singer’ sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee shared the devastating news in a statement posted to Instagram, revealing that Coco had attempted suicide on Sunday, and after being in a coma at at Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital for a few days, she died on Wednesday.
“With great sadness, we are here break the most devastating news: CoCo had been suffering from depression for a few years but her condition deteriorated drastically over the last few months,” the statement reads alongside a montage of photos and videos of the sisters. “Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her. On 2 July, she committed suicide at home and was sent to the hospital. Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on 5 July, 2023.”
Over the course of her illustrious career, Coco released 18 studio albums and appeared in films such as No Tobacco, Master of Everything and Forever Young. She was a judge on Chinese Idol in 2013.
Additionally, the star performed “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the 2001 Oscars, where it was nominated for best original song.
If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.
Rania Aniftos
Billboard
