37-year-old mainland Chinese actor, Yu Menglong, tragically fell to his death recently, raising a cloud of suspicion over the cause of his demise. There have been rumors suggesting that Yu Menglong met a tragic fate due to refusing to comply with the unspoken rules within the entertainment industry. Just five days after the incident, Yu Menglong’s studio released a screenshot on Weibo on September 16th, purportedly from Yu Menglong’s mother, asserting that her son’s death was an “alcohol-related accident.” As the controversy continued to escalate, Huang Zitao’s previous criticism of the entertainment industry’s “accompanying drinking culture” resurfaced.
Following a Weibo account named “Detective Xiao Yan” leaking news of Yu Menglong’s fatal fall, Yu Menglong’s studio, which was reportedly closed in July, promptly issued a statement claiming that, following the police investigation, “criminal suspicions have been ruled out.” Despite the swift conclusion reached by the Beijing Chaoyang police within 12 hours, many netizens found it highly unusual for criminal suspicion to be dismissed so quickly and urged further investigation and the disclosure of truth.
With the suspicious circumstances surrounding Yu Menglong’s death, numerous online revelations have emerged, implicating the private offspring of high-ranking CCP officials, as well as several screenwriters, directors, and producers in the entertainment industry, painting a chilling picture that has sparked widespread alarm among the public.
On the evening of September 16th, Yu Menglong’s studio issued another statement on Weibo, this time in the purported voice of Yu Menglong’s mother, confirming that the beloved actor met his demise due to an “alcohol-related accident” and urging the public to stop speculating. However, far from quelling the anger of netizens, the statement only fueled more suspicions. Some questioned, “Can anyone simply claim to be Menglong’s mother?” Some speculated whether Yu Menglong’s mother was “coerced into speaking out,” believing that the authorities were attempting to “silence” the matter. Netizens expressed their increasing difficulty in accepting the official narrative.
Of particular concern is that all leaked information and rumors surrounding the case were swiftly deleted or censored by the CCP, further fueling suspicions of a cover-up and suppression of the truth.
Amid the escalating public outcry, Huang Zitao’s previous denunciation of the entertainment industry’s “accompanying drinking culture” resurfaced once again.
Former member of the K-pop group “EXO,” Huang Zitao inherited a substantial fortune following his father, Huang Zhongdong’s, passing in September 2020 and took over his father’s “Longtao Entertainment” cultural limited company. The company had previously signed several artists and operated in various sectors, including artist management, film and music production, and distribution.
Huang Zitao once openly stated during a live broadcast that he established a rule for his company: any collaboration reliant on alcohol consumption would be rejected, asserting that, “If a job requires you to drink, just leave. If the work is based on drinking, just go away.”
Expressing his indignation towards being asked to accompany drinking sessions, Huang Zitao exclaimed, “I’m busy as hell. Why should I have to entertain you after dinner? Oh, if I don’t eat, you’ll blacklist me, is that what you mean? You’re really XX, acting all high and mighty just because I wouldn’t eat. They’re used to these bad habits, you know? Because they’re in the industry, they believe all artists should beg them.”
“I simply don’t care about these things. I’m not begging to be in your production. I don’t care who you are or if some so-called leader is present, what does it have to do with me?” Huang Zitao bluntly stated.
Huang Zitao emphasized that he wouldn’t allow his employees to sell themselves out for the sake of securing a deal. He revealed instances where new trainees were forced to accompany drinking sessions and were scolded when they refused, even recounting a case where a trainee was berated for not drinking enough and subsequently suffered a gastric hemorrhage but dared not speak out about it.
Some netizens expressed concerns that Huang Zitao might offend industry heavyweights, however, he adamantly declared during the live broadcast, “I’m not afraid of being oppressed; I just can’t stand seeing these disgusting acts harm young people!”
Following Yu Menglong’s tragic passing, an old live broadcast of actor Chen Xiao from 2022 also resurfaced. In the video, when fans brought up the current conditions of the entertainment industry, Chen Xiao sighed, “Can you not understand? How can you survive without understanding?” He sarcastically remarked, “They say hosting live streams allows you to freely chat with everyone, but how ‘free’ is it really? It just ends up being ‘free’.” He concluded with a bitter chuckle.
When questioned by netizens about whether the entertainment industry truly lacks freedom and is exceptionally challenging, Chen Xiao evasively responded, appearing despondent and sighing frequently, reflecting his resignation to the industry’s rules and status quo, such as being handed unfavorable scripts, mandatory participation in events, and forced persona adjustments, all enclosing his desire to act freely within numerous constraints.
Regarding Yu Menglong’s untimely passing, Chen Xiao’s past “jumping off the car incident” was revisited. An insider revealed that the handsome Chen Xiao once daringly jumped out of a company vehicle en route after refusing to comply with the unwritten rules, leading to a rift with the higher-ups in the company. Similarly, Yu Menglong was reportedly sidelined by the company in 2020 for rejecting inappropriate demands put forth by investors, causing him to have a dearth of projects for nearly three years.
The plethora of uncertainties surrounding Yu Menglong’s demise, in tandem with Huang Zitao’s expose and Chen Xiao’s resigned lamentation, underscores the entrenched and enduring unspoken rules in China’s entertainment industry.