Chinese authorities debunked death rumors surrounding C-pop star Kris Wu, who is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence for sex crimes.
According to The Korea Times, Taiwanese media reported speculations about Wu’s alleged death circulated widely on Chinese social media, prompting local officials to issue an official statement denying them.
The claims reportedly began after a user on Weibo, China’s largest social media platform, claimed that he was Wu’s “fellow inmate” and alleged that the singer had recently died under “suspicious circumstances.”
According to the post, Wu was supposedly “beaten to death” after refusing the “sexual demands of a gang leader”. Another rumor claimed he had died following a “hunger strike” that reportedly deteriorated his health.
A fabricated image also spread online, showing a man resembling Wu in a prison uniform being interrogated. The photo was later confirmed to be digitally manipulated, with Wu’s face edited onto another person’s body.
Despite the lack of evidence, the posts quickly went viral across social media.
As the unverified rumors continued to spread, police in China released an official statement on their Weibo account addressing the issue.
Authorities in Jiangsu Province labeled the circulating claims as “fake news” and urged the public not to spread “unverified information,” warning that individuals who continue to disseminate false content may face legal consequences under Chinese law.
Kris debuted in 2012 as a member of EXO before leaving the group in 2014 after filing a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to revoke his exclusive contract.
In 2021, he was charged with multiple sexual assault offenses involving minors. A Beijing court finalized his thirteen-year prison sentence in 2023, and he has remained incarcerated since.
