On September 11th, Mainland Chinese male star Yu Menglong tragically fell to his death. The case has raised numerous suspicions, with Beijing police quickly closing it under the label of “eliminating criminal suspicion,” sparking ongoing public doubts. Another male star, Fan Shiqi (original name Fan Shiqi), who was revealed to be one of the suspects, faced widespread boycotts from netizens. On October 11th, an online post allegedly showing Fan Shiqi confessing to killing Yu Menglong went viral. Although its authenticity remains unconfirmed, it has garnered widespread attention.
Following Yu Menglong’s mysterious death, online sources claimed that there was a gathering involving 6 or even 17 individuals on the night in question, including a director, screenwriter, agent, a high-ranking Communist Party relative named “Xin Qi”, actor Fan Shiqi, and others. Speculation arose that Yu Menglong’s demise was not merely accidental but potentially a result of his refusal to comply with unspoken rules, leading to his murder.
Recently, netizens discovered a post on what seemed to be Fan Shiqi’s Weibo account saying, “No matter how you act out, you can’t do anything to me, yes, I killed Yu Menglong because he deserved it.”
While the post was deleted approximately 10 minutes after publishing, screenshots of it quickly spread among netizens. Although its validity is uncertain, it has sparked immense interest online. Some believe Fan Shiqi is being used as a scapegoat to deflect attention from others involved.
Fan Shiqi’s studio has not yet responded to these claims. Previously, the studio released a statement threatening legal action against those spreading rumors of Fan Shiqi being responsible for Yu Menglong’s death. They asserted that Fan Shiqi had been occupied with concert preparations, completely unrelated to Yu Menglong’s passing, and urged people to halt online violence.
The insinuation that Fan Shiqi was an accomplice stems from an audio file circulating online, which contains phrases like “Fan Xiaohua, save me” and “knocked out then cut open”. Analysis by foreign agencies comparing the voiceprint in the file to Fan Shiqi’s yielded a match with a staggering 99.57% certainty, strongly suggesting it to be the same person.
Despite Fan Shiqi’s continual denials, his career has suffered severe repercussions as the situation escalates. Beyond facing boycotts leading to the cancellation of a Chengdu concert due to poor ticket sales, his endorsements from brands like Zhou Dafu jewelry and Cuddy coffee have been affected, with all activities suspended. Additionally, his appearance in the popular drama series “Let Me Shine” has faced substantial negative reviews, prompting online clamor for production to remove him entirely.
Both Fan Shiqi and Yu Menglong were participants in the 2013 talent show “Happy Boys Voice,” representing the Beijing region and making it into the top ten contestants. After the show, they both signed with the same talent agency, “Tianyu Media,” and subsequently became active figures in the acting industry.
Amid the Chinese Communist Party’s tight control over information and the internet, a video emerged online on October 11th, showing Yu Menglong’s image continuously displayed on an outdoor LED screen in Jiangsu Province’s Zhenjiang City, with the text “I am Yu Menglong”. The absence of sound in the video created a solemn atmosphere, with speculation suggesting it was intentionally muted as a dig at the authorities’ silence on online matters.
This video has garnered significant attention on X, an overseas social media platform, where users are mourning Yu Menglong and leaving messages like “several cities have joined,” “do not abandon or give up,” and “as a group, with an issue, let’s strive together and win together.”
Furthermore, Chinese musician Zhong Donglin has released two songs in remembrance of Yu Menglong, titled “Clouds Know” and “The Truth.” The lyrics vividly portray Yu Menglong’s struggles in the entertainment industry and implicitly criticize the authorities for concealing the truth.
In “The Truth,” lyrics go, “The watch in my pocket, its hands stopped moving, the dog walker saw, the blood-red morning. Five hours of blankness, no one heard sounds, how could an acrophobic person, approach the window in the distance.” These lines not only encapsulate details from multiple sources, including the Weibo account “Detective Xiaoyan,” revealing Yu Menglong’s death but also express the sentiment that “the truth should not be buried, life should not be shattered, who is covering up the final glory, we seek truth, not just tears,” resonating with numerous netizens.