Former EXO Member Kris "Death in Prison" Rumor... China Says "Not True"

"Latest Photo" Fake Image Circulates
Chinese Authorities Issue Unusual Statement

As rumors of the death of former EXO member Kris (Chinese name Wu Yifan), who is currently serving a prison sentence in China, spread online, Chinese authorities made an unusual public statement, calling the reports "false information."

Former EXO member Kris (Chinese name Wu Yifan). Photo by Yonhap News

On November 13 (local time), Taiwanese media outlet FTNN and others reported that "recently, false information has been circulating online claiming that Kris died while in prison, along with a fake image uploaded by a user claiming it to be 'the latest photo of Kris.'"

Previously, a rumor that Kris had died in prison spread rapidly on Chinese social networking services. One user, claiming to be a former inmate who was imprisoned with Kris, alleged, "A few days ago, a prison guard whispered something secretly, and suddenly Kris was dead." The user also claimed, "He was gang-raped by local gang members and was killed because he failed to meet the demands of the gang leader."

A photoshopped image spreading on China's Weibo, claimed to be a recent incarceration photo of former EXO member Kris. Weibo

Additionally, a photo was circulated showing Kris wearing a blue prison uniform, his face pixelated, sitting on a chair as if being interrogated. After it was uploaded, the photo quickly climbed to the top of China's SNS real-time search rankings.

As the controversy grew, the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau in China issued an official statement on November 11, unusually warning that "the 'latest photo of Kris' circulating online is a photoshopped fake image" and urging people to stop sharing false information.

Kris is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence in China after being convicted in December 2020 for sexually assaulting three intoxicated women, including a minor. He was also accused of engaging in obscene acts with two women at his home along with another person in July 2018.

In 2021, Chinese influencer Meizhu publicly accused Kris of raping her in 2020 when she was 17 years old. On Chinese social media, Meizhu openly criticized Kris, stating, "Kris is a sex offender and had sexual relations with a minor." Subsequently, 24 women came forward, claiming to have been victimized by Kris.