'Mulan' Star Coco Lee Dies Following Suicide Attempt
Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter known for voicing Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of Disney's Mulan, has died. Lee's sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee, shared in a statement on Facebook and Instagram that Lee passed away at Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital on Wednesday after having been in a coma after she attempted suicide at home on Sunday. She was 48.
"With great sadness, we are here [to] 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. Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her," Carol and Nancy said. According to the sisters, Lee attempted suicide at her home on July 2 "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."
Born in Hong Kong in 1975, Lee moved to the U.S., where he attended middle school and high school, before her career in Asia as a pop singer began, per Deadline. She initially found success in Hong Kong in the Mandopop (Mandarin-language pop) scene and later expanded into Cantonese and English. She was the first Chinese singer to be signed by Sony Music globally, and perhaps most notably, voiced the heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney's Mulan. She also sang the Mandarin version of the theme song, Reflection.
"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," Lee's sisters said. "As a family of CoCo, we are very grateful and honored to have such an excellent and outstanding sister. We are thankful to God for giving us such a kind angel. We know now she has gone to a happier place and no longer suffers from depression...Although CoCo stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!"
Lee was also known for singing "A Love Before Time," the end-credit title song of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She performed the song at the Oscars in 2001, when the song was nominated for best original song. Throughout her 30-year career, Lee recorded 18 studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums, and also appeared in three films – No Tobacco, Master of Everything, and Forever Young. Her TV credits include serving as a judge or advisor on talent shows like Chinese Idol and the 2015 version of Dancing With the Stars.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.
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