PUBLISHED ONJuly 28, 2023 10:13 AMByYeo Shu HuiCoco Lee's estranged husband Bruce Rockowitz has released a statement to say that he will not be involved in matters concerning the distribution of the late singer's assets, in response to recent allegations and reports against him.
According to a report by Hong Kong publication HK01 today (July 28), the 65-year-old Canadian businessman said in the statement that the false information spread recently have seriously affected his and his family's personal privacy and reputation, which "brought great distress and negative impact on [their] lives".
He said: "The remarks about Coco and my marriage and financial status deviate from the facts and are malicious speculations and rumours."
Rockowitz added that he and Coco have been "financially independent" since they got married.
"I respect Coco's arrangements for her personal assets. I have never been, and will not be involved in any matters concerning the distribution of her assets," he indicated.
The statement comes after various reports and discussions surfaced online since Coco's death on July 5 at the age of 48, speculating on how her assets, estimated to be around 1 billion yuan (S$186 million), would be distributed.
A report by Hong Kong publication Mirror Media on July 6 wrote that according to insiders, Coco had made a will to leave all her assets to her elderly mother.
Another report by HK01 on July 10 wrote that an insider from China claimed that Rockowitz had been unemployed for two years and was supported financially by Coco. The person added that since Coco's death, Rockowitz had been looking for a lawyer to overturn Coco's will so that he would become the first legal recipient of her assets.
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In response to media queries on the matter, Coco's sister Nancy told the media then: "I am not Bruce and can't speak for him, you can ask him yourself."
Other recent reports also discussed whether Rockowitz's two daughters from an earlier marriage would inherit her assets as Coco did not have any children of her own.
In addition to clarifying rumours on his involvement in the distribution of Coco's assets, Rockowitz also declared in his statement that people who spread untruths should immediately "stop their behaviour and delete the relevant speeches and false statements".
He added that he will be taking legal action against parties who refused to do so.
Coco married Rockowitz in 2011 after dating for eight years. In recent years up until her death, there were rumours that their relationship had soured and that Rockowitz had cheated on her, which led to Coco's depression.
The Hong Kong singer had never addressed those rumours directly, but after her death, there were reports that she and Rockowitz were due to sign divorce papers this month. Rockowitz's name is also absent from her obituary which was published in Hong Kong's newspaper on July 21.
Coco's memorial service will be livestreamed on Nancy's YouTube channel on July 31 at 4pm. The funeral service will also be livestreamed on the same channel on Aug 1 at 9.30am.
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