HONG KONG — Chinese-American singer-songwriter Coco Lee died on Wednesday (July 5) after committing suicide at home, her family announced on social media.

“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,” 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 committed suicide at home on Sunday and was taken to hospital. 

“Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on July 5, 2023.”

Hong Kong media reports said that she was taken to Queen Mary Hospital on Hong Kong island.

The Hong Kong-born star lived in the United States as a child and broke into the music scene in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1990s.

She went on to sell tens of millions of Chinese and English albums. 

In 2001, she became the first and only Chinese star to perform at the Oscars, singing A Love Before Time from Ang Lee’s award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

She married Canadian billionaire Bruce Rockowitz in a star-studded multi-million-dollar reception in Hong Kong in October 2011.

In March this year, she posted on social media about having to learn to walk again after going through a major leg surgery, also disclosing that she was born with a defect in her left leg.

In their Instagram post on Wednesday, her sisters said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of her singing career, noting that she has won “countless international acclaims” with top-selling songs and left audiences 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!”

WHERE YOU MAY SEEK HELP

• Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24-hour hotline) or 9151 1767 (24-hour CareText via WhatsApp)
• Singapore Association of Mental Health: 1800 283 7019
• Emergency helpline of the Institute of Mental Health: 6389 2222 (24-hour hotline)