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Coco Lee sadly passed away on June 5 after a battle with depression, her family saidGettyFacebook/Coco Lee
The singer had faced a year of health woes and underwent major leg surgery[/caption]
Weibo/Coco Lee
She had to learn to walk again following the op earlier this year[/caption]
The acclaimed singer-songwriter, 48, sadly passed away on Wednesday after trying to take her own life, her sisters said.
Her elder siblings Carol and Nancy Lee said the “demon inside [Coco] took the better of her” in a statement announcing the sad news.
They explained the Chinese–American star had been suffering from depression for a few years, but she “deteriorated drastically” over the last few months.
Coco had sought professional help and “did her best to fight” her mental health problems, but sadly couldn’t carry on any longer.
She had described the final year of her life as “incredibly difficult” in her final Instagram update which she shared on New Year‘s Eve.
Dubbing herself the “female warrior”, she sought to inspire fans with her story of overcoming hardship and her health woes.
She wrote: “Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a ‘female warrior’ to face them head-on, fearlessly but always had the biggest smile and big fat laughter!
“Strength, courage, and bravery is within all of us, so use them.”
The singer, best known for belting out the song Reflection for Disney‘s Mulan, said she was “grateful everyday to be alive.”
Coco added: “I’m a female warrior baby! Just like The Great Wall of China, I will never fall. If I can overcome anything, so can you!
“You are not alone, no matter how hard life gets, I’m with you.”
Behind her brave words, the performer was dealing with excruciating pain due to ongoing issues with her lower body.
She was born with a defect in her left leg and underwent an operation at two years old that was unsuccessful.
Coco was plagued by issues with her leg throughout her life and was forced to heavily rely on her right leg to support her body.
Although her incredible stage presence masked her suffering, the 48-year-old had been riddled with issues stemming from the defect.
Her problems worsened in October last year, when her injury flared up after Coco had over-exerted herself during a dance rehearsal.
FEMALE WARRIOR
She was then forced to undergo major surgery, which reportedly took place in February, at a hospital in Hong Kong.
Surgeons operated on her pelvis and thigh during the two-hour operation, which left her needing to learn to walk again.
Coco only revealed the extent of her health issues to fans for the first time in March when she shared a clip of herself before and after.
The Hong Kong icon, who dropped her latest single Tragic on February 14, described the procedure as “successful” in an online post.
She wrote on social media: “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, Coco was seen prepping for the op as she told herself in the mirror: “Come on. I can do it.”
She then gave fans an insight into the gruelling recovery she faced as she walked slowly with a walker while a nurse guarded her side.
Instagram/cocolee
Coco said life had sometimes been ‘unbearable’ in her final Instagram post[/caption]
She showed fans her gruelling road to recovery in a video uploaded to social mediaFacebook/Coco LeeReuters
Coco achieved stardom after singing in Disney’s adaptation of Mulan[/caption]
The clip also featured a heartwarming moment as she was greeted by a huge “welcome home” teddy bear from her loved ones.
It went on to show her continued progress as she taught herself to walk again over a 12-day period while aided by a walker.
Coco then approached the camera clenching her fist in defiance, saying: “Warrior baby! Female warrior.”
Her sister Nancy said she would likely be taking a break throughout 2023 as she needed at least six months to recover.
Tragically, the news of her comeback never came and her family instead announced Coco had sadly passed away following her mental and physical fight.
Her sisters said in a statement: “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.
“Although CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
Coco’s family said she had attempted to take her own life at her home on Sunday before being rushed to hospital.
‘HER LIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER’
“Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on 5 July, 2023,” the statement continued.
She married the Canadian businessman in 2011 and revealed they had been undergoing IVF in the hopes of having a baby in 2018.
She 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.
Her sisters said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Coco’s singing career, highlighting her “countless international acclaim” with top-selling songs.
They said she left fans with an “astounding impression of her excellent live performances.”
The statement added: “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!
“Although Coco stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”
Coco sold tens of millions of Chinese and English albums after her singing in Mulan earned her international acclaim.
Weibo/Coco Lee
The star dubbed herself the ‘female warrior’ following her mental and physical battles[/caption]
Alamy
She leaves behind husband Bruce Rocokwitz and two adult stepchildren[/caption]
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Coco Lee, 48, passed away on Wednesday after she attempted to take her own life[/caption]
Weibo/Coco Lee
The singer explained she was learning to walk again back in March following surgery on her leg[/caption]
Instagram/cocolee
In her haunting final post, Coco said she had relied on “love and faith” to get her through last year[/caption]
Her elder siblings Carol and Nancy Lee said the “demon inside [Coco] took the better of her” in a statement announcing the sad news.
The Chinese–American star, best known for belting out the song Reflection for Disney‘s Mulan, had been open about her mental and physical struggles with fans on social media.
In her final Instagram post, Coco explained she had to adopt the attitude of a “female warrior” to overcome her hardship.
She shared a series of images on New Year‘s Eve while reflecting on her “incredibly difficult year” amid the ongoing issues with her leg.
The carousel of snaps included pictures of her love and faith tattoos, selfies and one showing her sporting a surgical drain.
The singer was born with a defect in her left leg and underwent an operation at two years old that was unsuccessful.
It meant Coco was forced to rely on her right leg to support her body for the majority of her life, including in strenuous performances.
Her injury then flared up in October 2022 after she over-exerted herself during a dance rehearsal, meaning she faced further ops.
Coco explained she had to hold onto “love and faith” to get her through in her heartbreaking final post from December last year.
She wrote: “Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a “female warrior” to face them head-on, fearlessly but always had the biggest smile and big fat laughter!
“Strength, courage, and bravery is within all of us, so use them.”
The renowned singer went on to explain her goal for the upcoming year was to “share her life story and how she faced major life-changing hurdles” while managing to keep a positive attitude.
“I am happy to say I am finally living the real me,” Coco continued.
“It’s the best feeling and I’m grateful everyday to be alive and I get to share my thoughts with you.
“Life can be too short so dare to dream big! Everything in life is a choice so choose what brings you joy and meaning.”
The Hong Kong icon rounded off her words of wisdom by encouraging her fans to be inspired by her story.
Coco added: “I’m a female warrior baby! Just like The Great Wall of China, I will never fall. If I can overcome anything, so can you!
“You are not alone, no matter how hard life gets, I’m with you.”
The post has since been inundated with tributes to the star from devastated supporters who had followed her journey.
She only revealed the severity of her condition for the first time to fans in March, sharing a clip of herself before and after surgery.
The performer, who dropped her latest single Tragic on February 14, explained she was learning to walk again after the major op on her leg.
I’m a female warrior baby! Just like The Great Wall of China, I will never fall. If I can overcome anything, so can you!
Coco Lee
She wrote on social media: “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, Coco was seen walking slowly with a walker and a nurse by her side four days after surgery.
She did not share any further updates on her health, however, her sisters said the star’s depression had “deteriorated drastically over the last few months.”
Coco’s family said she had attempted to take her own life at her home on Sunday before being rushed to 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,” the statement continued.
She married the Canadian businessman in 2011 and revealed they had been undergoing IVF in the hopes of having a baby in 2018.
She 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.
Her sisters said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Coco’s singing career, highlighting her “countless international acclaim” with top-selling songs.
They said she left fans with an “astounding impression of her excellent live performances.”
The statement added: “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!
“Although Coco stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”
Coco sold tens of millions of Chinese and English albums after her singing in Mulan earned her international acclaim.
Reuters
Coco dubbed herself the ‘female warrior’ for overcoming her struggles[/caption]
Instagram/cocolee
She shared a smiling selfie in the final carousel that she uploaded to Instagram[/caption]
Instagram/cocolee
Coco also showed herself wearing a surgical drain in the snaps shared in December[/caption]
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
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