Is former EXO member Kris Wu dead in prison? Viral rumor debunked amid idol's 13-year sentence

On Friday, November 14, the Taiwanese media outlet, Mirror Media, reported that the former EXO member, Kris Wu, who is currently serving his 13-year sentence in prison for s*xual assault and offense, had reportedly died in jail. The new report also added that a fellow inmate of Kris Wu speculated this rumour, and also claimed that the cause of his death could've been due to gang fights.

Here's what the inmate stated, according to Mirror Media:

“I heard from prison guards that Kris died suddenly. There are rumors he was killed by local gang members.”

However, these rumours were soon shut down as the Chinese police and judicial authorities declared that Kris Wu is alive and incarcerated under his 13-year sentence in prison. They also clarified another rumour related to the idol, which stated that he died in prison following a prolonged hunger strike.

The authorities clarified that viral images related to these speculations that circulated across the internet were digitally manipulated. They also highlighted that further spread of such misinformation could lead to legal consequences. Previously, one other speculation was also related to the idol, when the Canadian government publicly criticized China for executing four Canadian citizens who were involved in drug trafficking.

This news was revealed around March 2025, and many suspected one of the four citizens to be Kris Wu due to his Canadian citizenship. These rumours also soon died down since none of the allegations and lawsuits raised against the former EXO member were related to drug crimes.

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All you need to know about former EXO member Kris Wu's 13-year prison sentence

Kris Wu is a Chinese Canadian singer who was convicted of r*pe and group lewdness in November 2022. This followed after several women, including a former girl group member, released online statements accusing the idol of s*xual misconduct.

As the situation turned into a lawsuit, he was found guilty of r*ping three women at home around late 2020. The women were also reported to be intoxicated and unable to consent. This led to his sentence of 11 years and 6 months in prison. Additionally, he was also charged and found guilty of group lewdness, otherwise referred to as engaging in s*xual activities in a group setting.

In 2018, he reportedly held a group s*x party involving several other men and two women. Therefore, this led to another 1 year and 10 months of prison sentence. With both cases combined, the idol is expected to serve approximately 13 years in prison, and this was declared in November 2022. The idol filed an appeal for the same, and in November 2023, the court rejected his appeal, and he began his sentence.

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Given that Kris Wu is a Canadian citizen, after his 13 years in prison, he will be deported from China and will be required to return to Canada. On the other hand, the controversy and his current prison sentence have led to the loss of his ambassadorships with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Porsche.

Edited by Aishwarya Sai