Rumors Of Former EXO Member Kris Wu’s Death Circulate The Web, Local Chinese Police Deny

Kris Wu (Wu Yifan, 34), formerly of the group EXO, has become the center of renewed “death rumors,” heating up online discussions. Local Chinese media and police have since issued a statement addressing the rumors.

Recently, some media outlets including Taiwan’s Sanli News, reported that “there are rumors that Kris Wu died while serving his sentence.” According to the reports, an anonymous social media user claiming to be a “fellow inmate” alleged that Kris Wu was “killed for failing to meet the demands of the group leader,” which fueled further controversy.

Unverified rumors continued to spread, including claims that he “died from physical weakness due to prolonged hunger strikes,” “was eliminated for refusing secret rules of the powerful,” and “lost his life due to involvement with a high-ranking official and the official’s daughter.” Additionally, when news emerged that four Canadian criminals were executed in China, some social media users even claimed that Kris Wu was on that list. These rumors, mixed with reversals, distortions, and speculation, have been spreading like an urban legend.

However, Chinese media and police quickly refuted the claims. Local outlets stated, “The rumor of Kris Wu’s death is fake news that has surfaced three times before. The recently circulated ‘corpse photo’ is a manipulated image with only the face changed.” Jiangsu Provincial Public Security also posted on their official social media, saying, “The photos circulating online are fabricated,” urging people to refrain from spreading false rumors.

So far, there has been no official announcement from Chinese correctional authorities or the government regarding any punitive measures.

Kris Wu left EXO in 2014 and continued his career as a singer and actor in China. In 2021, he was arrested over allegations of sexual assault against a minor. During the investigation, multiple victim testimonies were given. In 2022, the Beijing Chaoyang District People’s Court sentenced him to a total of 13 years in prison: 11 years and 6 months for rape and 1 year and 10 months for group lewd acts. His appeal was rejected, and the sentence was confirmed. After serving his term, he is scheduled to be deported to Canada.

Source: (A)