Former EXO member Kris Wu, who is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence in China on sexual assault charges, became the center of widespread rumors on Chinese social media claiming he had died in prison. Authorities have firmly dismissed the speculation as false.

According to Taiwan’s Sanlih News and other international outlets on November 13, an anonymous post on Weibo—allegedly written by someone claiming to be incarcerated in the same facility as Kris—sparked the controversy. The writer claimed that Kris Wu died after being brutally beaten for refusing sexual demands from a prison gang leader. Other rumors suggested he had succumbed to health issues following a hunger strike.

Photos also circulated showing a man resembling Kris wearing prison attire while being interrogated. These images have been confirmed to be fabricated, reportedly created by digitally altering another person’s face.

As the unverified rumors continued to spread, Chinese police took the unusual step of issuing an official statement to shut them down. Jiangsu provincial authorities posted on Weibo, labeling the claims as “fake news” and warning that spreading unverified information could result in legal consequences.

Born in Guangzhou and later naturalized as a Canadian citizen, Kris Wu rose to fame as a member of EXO from 2012 to 2014. After continuing his career in China, he was indicted on charges of repeatedly sexually assaulting intoxicated women at his home between November and December 2020. He also faced allegations of engaging in lewd acts with multiple women at his residence in July 2018.

In November 2022, the Beijing Chaoyang District People’s Court sentenced him to a total of 13 years in prison—11 years and 6 months for sexual assault and an additional 1 year and 10 months for group indecency. Chinese authorities have not disclosed the location or conditions of his imprisonment.