Coco Lee has died by suicide, family members confirmed on Wednesday. The Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter was 48 years old.
The statement revealed the star had been suffering from depression for a number of years. It was revealed Coco was rushed to hospital at the weekend and was in a coma before she died on Wednesday.
Coco was initially a Mandopop singer and went on to voice the heroine, Fa Mulan, in the Mandarin version of Disney's hit film Mulan. She also sang the Mandarin version of the movie’s title tune called Reflection.
She was also recognised for her feature on the 2000 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The star sang A Love Before Time on the hit movie.
Sister Nancy Lee posted the heartbreaking message on her Sina Weibo and also on Instagram. She revealed this year was "supposed to mark CoCo Lee's 30th debut anniversary in the music industry".
She wrote: "Throughout her 29-year career, she not only brought us endless joy and surprises with her powerful songs and dance performances, but also worked tirelessly to pave the way for Chinese artists in the international music scene."
She added: "Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.
Nancy revealed that despite the hospital staff's best efforts to "rescue and treat her from her coma" she died on July 5.
Fans across the globe quickly took to social media to pay their respects. One Twitter user simply wrote: "Thank You, for the Music. RIP Coco Lee."
Another added: "May you rest in peace in heaven. Let us strive to treat every person in this world with a heart full of love."
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