Michelle Yeoh pays tribute to late Disney star CoCo Lee: ‘Lost a bright star’
Actress Michelle Yeoh is paying tribute to the late Disney musician CoCo Lee, remembering her as a “bright star” with a “beautiful voice.”
On Wednesday, Lee’s sister confirmed in a Facebook post that the “Mulan” singer had died at the age of 48 following a suicide attempt.
“I am deeply saddened that we have lost a bright star,” Yeoh wrote in an Instagram post, sharing a carousel of photos taken of her and Lee throughout the years.
“Coco was the first Chinese to perform at the Oscars, her song A love before time from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was nominated for Best Original Song.. we were so proud and always will be,” the post continued. “You and your beautiful voice will be missed. RIP my dear… Heartfelt condolences to Coco’s family and all who love you… 🙏🏻”
Lee was a Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter whose breakout role came in 1998, when she sang the Mandarin version of the song “Reflection,” from Disney’s classic movie, “Mulan.”
She also voiced Mulan in the Chinese version of the film.
Her sisters penned an emotional Facebook post to the star Wednesday, explaining that she had attempted suicide at her home on Saturday, July 2.
Lee was then rushed to the hospital, where she was put in a coma and later passed away.
“CoCo had been suffering from depression for a few years but her condition deteriorated drastically over the last few months,” the post stated.
“Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
Throughout her prolific career, Lee was the first person of Chinese descent to perform at the Academy Awards in 2001, per NPR, singing the song “A Love Before Time.”
The ballad was from a movie directed by Ang Lee called “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which won four Oscars across different categories that year, including “Best Foreign Language Film.”
She recorded 18 studio albums, including “Just No Other Way” in 1999.
Lee was also the first Chanel brand ambassador of Chinese descent for the Asia region.
“I’ve always said, I want to do music until nobody wants to hear me sing anymore,” Lee said during an interview with CCTV posted to YouTube in 2013.
“I just love music, I feel like with music, there’s so much more I want to express, and so many different types of music that I want to express through,” she said.
Over the past few years, she had become a judge on different competition shows and reality TV programs, like the 2015 version of Dancing with the Stars in China, per The Guardian.
She married Canadian businessman Bruce Rockowitz in 2011.
Lee is survived by Rockowitz as well as two stepdaughters, her sisters and mother.
