Coco Lee dead: Disney Chinese-American singer who starred in Mulan dies aged 48

Chinese-American pop singer Coco Lee has died at the age of 48. The singer, whose hits include ‘Do You Want My Love’ is believed to have died following an attempt to take her own life after struggling with depression for years, according to her family.

Her sister who shared the news on social media, said Coco had been diagnosed with depression a few years ago.. She was rushed to the hospital on Sunday (July 2) but sadly passed away on Wednesday (July 5).

Born in Hong Kong, Coco rose to popularity following her single ‘Do You Want My Love’ which also entered the US music charts. She released her first English-language album ‘Just No Other Way in 1999 and she was the first Chinese singer who performed at the Oscars with her song ‘A Love Before Time’ from the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Her R&B-tinged hip-hop music made her a hit in the United States, and her star power led to a role as Fa Mulan in the Mandarin dub of Disney’s "Mulan," which was released in 1998.

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

This year would have been her 30th anniversary of her debut.

Nancy added: “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; we trust God has her best interest looked after!

“Now, our greatest responsibility is to take good care of our elderly mother. I hope everyone will pray for this poor old lady & allow us time & privacy in healing. Finally, we would like to thank the medical staff again for their dedication to care throughout the whole process.

“At the same time, we hope that everyone will not only miss CoCo, but also share her bright smile, treat people with sincerity, and convey kindness and love to everyone around us, and continue CoCo’s wish to let everyone around feel her love and happiness. Although CoCo stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”