Cheng Pei-pei, ‘queen of martial arts’ movies, dead at 78

CNN —

Actress Cheng Pei-pei, best known for her martial arts roles in films such as “Come Drink with Me” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” has died. She was 78.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the rumors are true. Our mother, Cheng Pei Pei, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on July 17,” her family wrote in a statement posted on Facebook Friday.

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They shared that she was living with a rare, progressive disease known as corticobasal degeneration (CBD). The condition causes an increasing number of brain cells to become damaged and die over time, causing worsening problems with movement, speech, memory and swallowing, according to the UK’s National Health Service website. Currently, no treatment has been shown to stop its progression.

“She chose not to make this news public so that she could deal with her condition in private and spend her remaining time with her children and grandchildren,” the statement reads.

“To all her friends, colleagues, and fans, thank you for all the support you showed her over the years. Our mom wanted to be remembered by how she was: the legendary Queen of Martial Arts… a versatile, award-winning actress whose film and television career spanned over six decades, not only in Asia but internationally as well,” the statement continues.

Born in Shanghai in 1946, Cheng trained in ballet while at school before moving to Hong Kong as a teenager.

She then enrolled in a performing arts training course at