Photos showing Kris (real name Wu Yifan), a former member of the group EXO who is serving a 13-year prison sentence for sex crimes, appearing significantly heavier have spread online, but it has been revealed that these are manipulated images.
Recently, on overseas social networking services such as China's Weibo, a photo accompanied by an explanation that Kris had rapidly gained weight during his incarceration went viral.
In the photo, Kris is wearing short hair and a red checkered shirt, but unlike his previously sharp appearance, his face appears significantly puffy, with a double chin.
As the photo spread, speculation arose that Kris might have put on weight while in prison. However, doubts were raised by the fact that an inmate was wearing civilian clothes rather than a prison uniform, and online users found what appeared to be the original video of the photo from the past.
According to Singaporean media outlet 8days and others, the original source of the photo was a video from when Kris was interviewed by Chinese media Sohu in 2015, before his incarceration. It is known that the red checkered shirt he wore at the time matches the outfit in the photo.
The photo had also been circulated as Kris's recent prison update in 2022, only to be identified as a manipulated image.
Rumors about Kris's life in prison are not new. Previously, rumors spread on Chinese SNS that he had died after being assaulted in prison or had passed away following a prolonged hunger strike. A photo of a man wearing a blue prison uniform was also introduced as Kris's recent update.
At the time, the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau refuted the related content as fake news via its official Weibo, stating that the photo was a composite image where the face of a person in an old news video had been replaced with Kris's face.
Kris debuted as a member of EXO and EXO-M in 2012 but left the team in 2014 to work as a singer and actor in China. He was later arrested on sex crime charges, and a Chinese court sentenced him to 13 years in prison in 2022 for crimes including rape and group indecency.
Kris is scheduled to be deported to Canada after completing his sentence.
in ENTERTAINMENT
