Conspiracy Theories Emerge After Yu Menglong’s Fatal Fall; Beijing Police Track Down Three Women Spreading Rumors

37-year-old Chinese actor Yu Menglong tragically fell to his death in Beijing in the early hours of the 11th, sending shockwaves through the entertainment industry. Although his studio released a statement that evening confirming his death and emphasizing that police had ruled out criminal activity, on the 16th, Yu’s mother issued another public statement, specifying that her son died from an “accidental fall after drinking,” and that the funeral arrangements had been completed. However, conspiracy theories began to circulate online, including rumors that Yu had refused to comply with the demands of powerful figures or possessed evidence of high-level money laundering, which led to his “silencing.” On the evening of the 21st, Beijing police issued an announcement, once again disclosing the results of their investigation into Yu Menglong’s cause of death, and said they had launched an inquiry into the online rumors, already identifying three women who deliberately fabricated and spread falsehoods.
The Chaoyang Sub-Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau posted a police briefing on its official Weibo account, "Ping’an Beijing Chaoyang," on the evening of the 21st. It stated that in relation to the recent accident involving Yu Menglong’s fall after drinking, certain individuals had been fabricating and spreading false information online, severely disrupting public order. As a result, the police initiated an investigation and tracked down three women, each of whom had created rumors such as "Yu Menglong jumped after being victimized at a party," "Yu Menglong was abused and thrown downstairs before his death," and "Yu Menglong’s mother and sister were detained by others." All three women confessed to fabricating these rumors.
The police also explained that after the accidental fall caused by Yu Menglong’s drinking, they carried out an on-site inspection, autopsy, witness interviews, and reviewed surveillance footage. Ultimately, they ruled out any suspicion of a criminal case, and informed the family of the results, to which there was no objection. Yu’s mother additionally issued a statement through Yu Menglong’s studio.

Yu Menglong’s death has officially been categorized as an “accident after drinking,” but as various revelations have surfaced, the public continues to suspect that his passing may not have been so simple. Not long ago, netizens dug up footage of a livestream from when Yu Menglong was alive, in which his expression appeared unusual and he was heard softly uttering, “Help me.” Because of unstable internet at the time, few fans noticed. In addition, viewers observed that during the live, Yu glanced to the side, his smile fading instantaneously into a serious expression, after which he made the “5, 4, 0” gesture, believed by some to be a possible distress signal.
In another livestream, Yu Menglong said, “The weather isn’t very good today, there are dark clouds in the sky, remember to bring an umbrella if you go out. Lately I’ve learned how to do magic, even death can be artistic.” Some fans noticed that if you take the first character of each sentence, it forms an acrostic reading “Today they want me dead,” further fueling suspicions that these segments may have hidden messages.

Additionally, some netizens pointed out that before his death, Yu Menglong appeared to have visible bruises on his “temple and mouth corner” in a video taken by a fan at an airport check-in counter before boarding a flight. In the clip, Yu instinctively dodged as a man in black in front of him turned around, which prompted speculation among viewers as to whether he had indeed been abused.