Rumors of Kris Wus death have once again ignited a storm across Chinese social media, spreading rapidly through anonymous posts and online forums. The South China Morning Post reported on the 18th that unverified claims about the former EXO member and convicted rapist dying in prison have gained alarming traction.
Wu, a Chinese Canadian entertainer who first rose to fame with EXO in 2012 before building a multifaceted career in China, saw his public standing collapse in 2021 when he was charged with sexually assaulting minors. In 2023, a Beijing court sentenced him to thirteen years in prison and ordered his deportation, a ruling later upheld on appeal.
Recent online speculation alleges that Wu was killed after failing to comply with gang demands, that he physically deteriorated after refusing food, or that he was silenced for knowing too much about another celebritys controversial death. Some posts even claim he was the victim of sexual violence.
Similar unfounded rumors surfaced in April, claiming he died in a prison fight. The Beijing Chaoyang Public Security Bureau, which oversees his case, has not commented on the latest wave of speculation. Under Chinese law, spreading false rumors can result in up to ten days of detention or fines up to 500 CNY.
Many Chinese netizens have voiced frustration, dismissing the claims as increasingly absurd and pointing out that prisons operate under strict controls.
Wu left EXO in 2014 and continued his entertainment career in China until his 2021 arrest, and in 2022 the Beijing Chaoyang District Peoples Court sentenced him to eleven years and six months for rape and one year and ten months for group obscenity, totaling thirteen years, with deportation to Canada to follow after his sentence.
