In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the singer CoCo Lee’s sisters announced that she had passed away following a suicide attempt. She was 48 years old.
Her older sisters reported that the celebrity made an attempt at suicide on July 2 at home before being taken to the hospital. She attempted suicide due to depression, which kept her in a coma until her passing on Wednesday.
According to the Facebook post, “CoCo had been dealing with depression for a few years, but over the last few months, her condition has deteriorated dramatically.”
Even though CoCo tried her best to overcome despair and sought professional assistance, the demon inside of her ultimately won.
The singer-songwriter, who was born in Hong Kong, relocated to the US when she was 9 years old before eventually moving back home, where she began her musical career.
When Lee voiced the title character in the Chinese adaptation of the Disney classic “Mulan” in 1998, it was her breakthrough performance. She sang the Mandarin version of the song “Reflection” from the song.
She also made history by becoming the first person of Chinese origin to represent Chanel as the Asia brand ambassador and by becoming the first Chinese American to perform at the Academy Awards, performing the song “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Lee is recognized as a gifted and chic pop phenomenon of the early 2000s and continued to be a prominent, active performer in mainland China up until her passing.
Lee has recently judged a number of singing contests and reality TV shows.
“CoCo is also 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,” her sisters wrote in their post. “We are happy with her!”
Lee leaves behind her mother, her husband Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who served as the former CEO of the Hong Kong supply chain giant Li & Fung, and her two stepdaughters. She also leaves behind her sisters.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
