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| Where Is Kelsey Lu Jiarong? The Actress Who Vanished & Went Viral Again After Yu Menglong’s Tragic Case |
The mystery surrounding Yu Menglong’s death continues to ripple through China’s entertainment world — and this time, it’s pulling other names from the same talent stable, Tianyu Media (EE-Media), into the spotlight.
Online investigations by fans have unearthed unsettling parallels between Alan Yu’s case and the fates of other artists once managed by the agency.
Among them is Lu Jiarong, also known as Kelsey Lu, a respected actress whose sudden disappearance remains unexplained.
Born 5 July 1984 in Shandong, Lu Jiarong graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy and quickly made her name in historical dramas.
Her breakout came through roles in Beauty’s Schemes (2010), The Palace: The Lock Heart Jade (2011), and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (2013), where she portrayed Lan Fenghuang.
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| “Don’t Look Back” — The Last Words of Lu Jiarong Before She Disappeared from China’s Entertainment Scene |
Known for her classical beauty and refined acting, she didn’t stay boxed in period dramas. Lu Jiarong later took modern roles, including Execution Sword (2018), and was even crowned Best Actress of the Year by Guangxi TV in 2019.
Yet behind the glamour, her career was peppered with uneasy headlines and the kind of rumours that can crush even the most resilient artists.
In China’s fiercely competitive entertainment scene, talk of “unwritten rules” has long been whispered — claims that artists are expected to comply with unreasonable industry pressures or risk their future.
Kelsey Lu Jiarong’s own studio often had to push back against gossip blogs misusing her image or fabricating scandals.
The tension boiled over in June 2019, when social media accounts accused her of misconduct, inappropriate liaisons, and even drug use — all claims that her management swiftly called fabricated slander.
They released a sharp statement warning of legal action and emphasised that malicious rumours were endangering her wellbeing.
Then came May 2018 — a month that changed how fans viewed her story. Reports circulated of Jiarong suffering a mental breakdown, echoing eerie similarities to fellow EE-Media star Qiao Renliang, who had tragically died years earlier.
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| Left to right: Ren Jiao, Yu Menglong, Ben Xi, and Qiao Renliang — each died under unclear or mysterious circumstances |
A message — possibly from her social account — read chillingly: “If something happens, it will be like Qiao Renliang.”
Shortly after, a six-hour blackout in communication from Jiarong sparked public panic.
She had posted about a hand injury, then went completely silent.
When her studio finally issued a statement saying she was hospitalised with minor wounds, fans couldn’t shake the sense that something deeper had been hidden.
Even though her team dismissed the speculation, the incident marked a turning point — one that fans would later see as the start of her slow retreat from public life.
The last confirmed sighting of Lu Jiarong came during Beijing Fashion Week in April 2023. A backstage clip showed her leaning towards her assistant and whispering, “Don’t look back.”
It was the last time she was seen in public.
Around the same period, insiders claimed she lost a drama role after refusing to attend “drinking sessions” — a euphemism often used for uncomfortable industry obligations.
Her social media account briefly resurfaced in late 2023, joining a chat group advocating for artist rights, only to vanish days later.
By early 2025, unverified sightings suggested she was working as a stand-in actor at Hengdian, reportedly earning just 300 yuan a day — a heartbreaking contrast to her former stardom.
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| The Puzzling Fate of Lu Jiarong, Once the Face of Tianyu Media’s Golden Era |
No official statements have been released by Tianyu Media, her family, or her close circle.
The absence of clear updates has fuelled speculation — did she walk away from fame, or was she silenced by forces bigger than herself?
Despite the rumours, what’s certain is that Lu Jiarong’s case — much like Yu Menglong and Qiao Renliang before her — paints a troubling picture of the emotional toll behind China’s glittering celebrity culture.
Lu Jiarong’s journey, from celebrated actress to missing figure, exposes the uneasy reality behind stardom: where image often outweighs wellbeing, and silence can be both a shield and a sentence.
Her disappearance remains unsolved, her story frozen between headlines and whispers — a sobering reminder that behind the lights of China’s entertainment industry lies a shadow few truly understand.