Coco Lee, who starred as Mulan in the Mandarin version of the 1998 Disney blockbuster and sang the song “Reflection” for the film’s soundtrack, passed away recently. She was 48.
The singer’s sisters revealed on social media that Lee had attempted suicide and was rushed to the hospital. She was in a coma and died on Wednesday.
The family said that CoCo’s depression, which she’d been dealing with for a while, had worsened in recent months. Sisters Carol and Nancy stated on their respective Twitter and Facebook sites that despite getting expert assistance and trying to overcome her depression, CoCo ultimately lost her battle.
Ferren Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1975, and she and her family eventually settled in San Francisco, where she provided the voice of Mulan in the Mandarin dub of Disney’s cherished animated classic.
She studied at U.C. Irvine after middle and high school in the United States.
In the 1990s, Lee became a household name and a famous singer in China. She also recorded CDs in Cantonese and English in addition to Mandarin. She also sang well-known English songs, such as “Before I Fall in Love” from the “Runaway Bride” soundtrack and “A Love Before Time” from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Do You Want My Love, sung in English, peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Breakouts list in December 1999, making her the first Chinese artist to achieve mainstream success in the United States.
She became the stepmother of Bruce Rockowitz’s two kids after marrying the Canadian businessman in 2011.
On New Year’s Eve last year, Lee sent a touching Instagram message in which she and her partner discussed their profound connection to the words “LOVE & FAITH.”
Her sisters repeated similar sentiments on Wednesday, encouraging followers to spread CoCo’s joy by smiling more, being more genuine with others, and spreading love and generosity to those around them.
They said CoCo only had limited time to shine her light on the world.
