37-year-old mainland Chinese actor Yu Menglong tragically fell to his death, sending shockwaves through the entertainment industry. 32-year-old actress Song Yiren was accused of being involved in the Yu Menglong case, sparking controversy. Despite her denial, as the incident continued to unfold, rumors emerged that Song Yiren’s role in a new drama had been recast.
Yu Menglong, who was experiencing a period of career ascension in the performing arts industry, fell from a building in Beijing. Officially declared as a “drunken accident fall” within a short 12-hour timeframe, the case lacked substantial evidence, leading to strong public skepticism.
The news of Yu Menglong’s death was initially leaked by the Weibo user “Detective Yuan,” who revealed on September 11th morning, based on insider information, that Yu Menglong had fallen to his death in Beijing during the early hours of that day. It was reported that the night before the incident, he was having dinner with “five or six friends at a friend’s house,” then went to his bedroom to lock the door and sleep. The post was deleted by the user later that afternoon.
Subsequent reports indicated that there were either 6 or 17 people present at the gathering that night, including individuals like Cheng X, Fang X, Ji Xguang, Gao Xyu, and the son of a certain high-ranking Chinese official Sin X. The group consisted of actors, directors, screenwriters, producers, financiers, and prominent individuals. Actress Song Yiren was accused of setting up the gathering and inviting Yu Menglong to participate.
Despite the Beijing police’s announcement on September 21st that Yu Menglong died due to a “drunken accident,” and the arrest of three internet users for spreading rumors, online skepticism persisted. On September 22nd, Song Yiren released a lawyer’s statement denying the allegations, followed by a five-point statement on Weibo on the 23rd, refuting all rumors. However, netizens expressed disbelief, stating “hard to believe,” “don’t just post words, provide evidence of absence,” and “actions speak louder than words.”
Weibo influencer “Pick Rabbit” wrote, “Song Yiren has once again posted to clarify recent public opinion, but it seems that no one really believes her. This situation is hard to resolve.”
As public opinion escalated, some netizens initiated a “boycott of Song Yiren’s works” campaign, not only shunning her past performances but also planning to boycott her upcoming movie “Meeting the Clouds, Not Meeting You,” which was rumored to have undergone a recasting.
On September 25th, entertainment blogger “Little Genius” stated, “Song Yiren’s role has been recast, leading to a termination of collaborations. Just because her ‘pure image’ has shattered, audiences refuse to watch her shows, investors do not dare to use her, and even male leads with some influence probably do not want to co-star with her. It’s not surprising that others are piling on when her own situation should be clear. Can she carry a show? Were her past shows well-received?”
Influencer “Wheatberry’s Woes” commented, “Song Yiren is like an ant on a hot plate these days. Her new film is set to be released at the end of the month, but netizens are not buying it, resolutely refusing to watch it. She never would have expected such a market response. No matter how she explains that it’s ‘not related to that incident,’ people don’t believe her. Audiences are not just targeting a single movie; they’re judging the actor’s character. If you can’t even get that right, no matter how good your acting is, how much effort is put into the film, who will be willing to foot the bill for you?”
Comments from netizens included, “I won’t watch even if there’s recasting, as long as it’s that group of companies, I won’t watch.” “Looks like she’s been abandoned by capital, abandoned child.” “Boycott! Refuse to watch!”
With public opinion increasingly intensifying, on September 22nd, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced the initiation of a two-month special operation called “Clear and Purify Maliciously Provoking Negative Emotions,” with various social media platforms deleting posts related to “Yu Menglong” (even if using symbols like “Little Fish” and “Lemon” as substitutes) upon publication.
Recently, after Yu Menglong’s death, the support group behind his Weibo “Super Topic” disclosed that due to a significant amount of so-called “violative content,” the Weibo account had been frozen. Failure to clean up and delete posts within the stipulated period would lead to the disappearance of the “Super Topic.”
Following Yu Menglong’s passing, the support group previously expressed sadness, stating, “In the end of the story, I also became your relic.” Concerned that even the “last home” of Yu Menglong could not be preserved, the Weibo administrators of the support group reached out in despair to the outside world.