HONG KONG – Canadian businessman Bruce Rockowitz has rebutted allegations that he did not care for his late wife, Hong Kong-American singer Coco Lee. They were reportedly separated at the time of her death.

Mr Rockowitz, who is in his mid-60s, has been facing a barrage of criticism since the pop diva died at the age of 48 on July 5. He released a statement in Chinese on July 27 to address rumours of an inheritance tussle.

Lee’s memorial service was held at the Hong Kong Funeral Home on July 31. Her funeral took place the next day and Mr Rockowitz was heckled by her fans outside the crematorium.

More recently, an audio clip purportedly of Lee’s voice, complaining about Mr Rockowitz being unwilling to change the home karaoke system, has gone viral on social media.

On Tuesday, he issued another statement in Chinese.

“When Coco and I were vacationing in the Maldives last summer, she told me she thought she might have cancer,” Mr Rockowitz wrote. “I immediately arranged for her to return to Hong Kong for a health screening.”

He said Lee went to China to record the singing reality show Sing! China a day after the screening, while he went to Europe to visit his family.

“I received news that Coco was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was quarantined in China,” he wrote. “She decided to return to Hong Kong for medical treatment after completing the production of Sing! China.”

Lee was one of the coaches on the show.

In his statement, Mr Rockowitz also urged the relevant parties to remove the allegations against him, saying that he has hired a legal firm to take action against those who refuse to comply.

He also shared images of three invoices – two dated Nov 11, 2022, and March 31, 2023, for a karaoke audio system, and another for a wreath sent to the Hong Kong Funeral Home on July 31.