Kris Wu's Death Rumors Resurface; Officials Deny Reports

Rumors claiming that Kris Wu (Wu Yifan), a former member of the K-pop group EXO, has died in prison have once again spread across Chinese online platforms, but have been vehemently denied by Chinese-language media and police.

Taiwanese outlet TVBS and Hong Kong's HK01 reported on the 13th (local time) that "rumors of Kris Wu dying from a hunger strike are rapidly circulating on Chinese social media." Some netizens fueled the speculation with sensational claims such as "he starved to death after refusing food for an extended period in prison" and "he was murdered after being sexually assaulted while incarcerated."

However, the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department in China immediately refuted these claims via their official Weibo account on the 11th, stating, "The rumors of Kris Wu's death are not true."

Chinese-language media outlets also dismissed the gossip as baseless, noting that "the same rumor has been repeated three times during his four years of imprisonment."

Kris Wu debuted as a member of EXO-M in 2013, achieving global popularity. He later left the group in 2014 after filing a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to nullify his exclusive contract. He then pursued a successful career as an actor and singer in China, starring in films such as 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' and becoming a top star in the country.

His trajectory shifted dramatically in 2021 following accusations of sexual assault against multiple women, including minors. The allegations gained traction when one accuser released private messages, and further victims came forward, leading to a widespread scandal.

In November 2022, the Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court sentenced him to 13 years in prison: 11 years and 6 months for rape and 1 year and 10 months for group licentiousness. His appeal against the first-instance ruling was dismissed, and the sentence was finalized.

Following the completion of his sentence, he is set to be forcibly deported to Canada. While some have speculated about the possibility of Canada's chemical castration law being applied to him, most analyses suggest this is highly unlikely.

Korean netizens expressed their frustration, commenting, "Here we go again, please verify before spreading rumors," and "It's baffling why these rumors keep surfacing while he's still serving time."