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| Jiangsu Police Shut Down Viral Kris Wu “Prison Death” Hoax, Confirm Fake Photo Was Digitally Altered |
Alarming online rumours about former EXO member and Chinese-Canadian actor Wu Yifan aka Kris Wu have sent Chinese social media into a frenzy over the past week. Claims suggesting the disgraced star had “died in prison after a hunger strike” or was “assaulted to death” gained massive traction across Weibo, Douyin, and other local platforms.
But on 11 November, Jiangsu police officially stepped forward to debunk the entire story — calling it a fabricated hoax built on an edited image. According to the police statement, the viral photo showing a man in a blue prison uniform, hands folded on a bench, and seemingly “being interrogated” was digitally manipulated.
The face in the image — which netizens believed to be Kris Wu’s — had actually been photoshopped onto another inmate’s body.
The original image, they explained, came from an unrelated case reported years earlier.
“Do not spread or believe in online rumours,” the Jiangsu police warned.
“Circulating such fake content can cause unnecessary public panic and confusion.”
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Four years behind bars — but still the centre of gossip
Kris Wu has now served around four years of his 13-year prison sentence, after being convicted by a Beijing court in 2021 for sex-related offences.
Recently, however, the internet was flooded with unverified “updates” claiming the former idol had stopped eating while imprisoned and had “fallen gravely ill” before allegedly dying.
Some posts even went as far as claiming he’d been “targeted by fellow inmates” — a claim the authorities categorically dismissed as baseless.
These rumours rapidly went viral, with the fake “prison interrogation” photo racking up tens of thousands of reposts within hours.
Many users initially expressed shock and disbelief, while others quickly pointed out that the proportions and lighting in the image seemed off — fuelling suspicions of digital tampering long before the official statement dropped.
Authorities warn against misinformation
In their statement, police urged netizens to verify information before sharing or commenting, reminding the public that fabricating or spreading false content can have legal consequences under China’s cybersecurity laws.
This isn’t the first time Kris Wu Yifan has been caught in the whirlwind of online rumours since his imprisonment, but it’s one of the few cases where authorities have directly intervened to clarify misinformation.
Despite his public disappearance since 2021, the former EXO star remains a trending name whenever unverified “updates” surface — proving that, even behind bars, Kris Wu’s fame (and infamy) still carries enormous online pull.
TL;DR:
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Rumours about Kris Wu’s death in prison are false.
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Jiangsu police confirmed the viral “prison photo” was photoshopped.
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Authorities warn the public not to spread fake or sensational claims online.