Coco Lee dead at 48 – Singer behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon hit takes her own life after ‘learning to walk again’
SINGER Coco Lee has died in hospital after trying to take her own life at her home.
The 48-year-old Chinese-American singer-songwriter's family announced the news on social media.
“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,” her elder sisters Carol and Nancy Lee wrote on Instagram on Wednesday night.
“Although CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
They added that she had tried to take her own life at home on Sunday and was taken to hospital.
Coco was well recognised for her feature on the 2000 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon where she sang A Love Before Time.
“Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on July 5, 2023,” they added.
In their Instagram post, her sisters said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of her singing career, highlighting her “countless international acclaims” with top-selling songs and left audience with an “astounding impression of her excellent live performances”.
“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. We are proud of her!” they added.
“Although Coco stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”
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In March, the singer was learning to walk again after undergoing major leg surgery.
Coco, who dropped her latest single Tragic on February 14, hinted in a social media post on February 23 that she was going for the operation.
She said in the post that she went overboard during dance practice in October 2022, triggering an old leg injury.
Coco revealed that she was born with a defect in her left leg and following an unsuccessful operation she had when she was just two years old, she was forced to rely on her right leg to support her body for the majority of her life.
In March, Coco disclosed her condition to her fans for the first time, posting on social media a video of herself before and after the operation.
The singer wrote in Chinese and English: “Successful surgery. Even though I’m in a lot of pain and I have to relearn how to walk again, I know I can do it. Yes, I can and I will. Thank you, everyone.”
In the video, she was seen walking slowly with a walker and a nurse by her side four days after surgery.
Coco leaves behind her husband, Bruce Rockowitz, and two adult stepchildren.
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