EXO's Kris, 'Chubby' Recent Status While Serving 13-Year Sentence for Sex Crimes? — Manipulated

Photos that have spread online claiming to show the recent status of former EXO member Kris (Chinese name Wu Yifan), who is serving a 13-year prison sentence for sex crimes, have been revealed to be manipulated. As photos showing a significantly increased face and body size, unlike his sharp appearance in the past, spread, speculations poured in that his weight had increased rapidly during his actual prison life, but the images were not recently taken. It has been reported that the images were created by modifying his appearance from past videos to make it look as if his appearance had changed after his imprisonment, drawing renewed attention to rumors regarding his recent status originating from the internet.

Recently, so-called "chubby shots" have spread on overseas social media (SNS) and online communities along with descriptions that Kris has become unrecognizably fat during his imprisonment. The person in the photo showed a significant difference from the sharp facial lines and slim physique he was known for during his past activities. Some users expressed surprise, accepting this as his actual recent status captured during imprisonment. However, as the photos spread, questions were also raised regarding the source and authenticity of the images.

According to foreign media reports such as the Singaporean outlet 8days, the photos in question were not recently taken but were edited based on footage from when Kris appeared in an interview video in 2015. The explanation is that his face and body shape in the past video were modified to make it appear as if his weight had increased significantly. Ultimately, it is impossible to confirm Kris's actual prison life or current appearance through the photos that gained traction online.

This is not the first time that rumors regarding Kris's prison status have surfaced. In November last year, controversy arose when rumors spread that he had died in a Chinese prison. At that time, rumors spread as an anonymous user claiming to be a fellow inmate posted messages stating that he had died due to assault or died after a hunger strike. However, those claims were not verified for credibility, and there was no official announcement of death from local authorities.

The photos of him in prison uniforms that appeared on SNS at the time were also pointed out to be manipulated images. As rumors of death are followed by rumors of weight changes, various stories surrounding Kris's prison life are being reproduced online. In particular, when provocative descriptions are attached to photos of unclear origin, they are easily accepted as records of actual situations. However, the fact that an image is widely shared is a completely different matter from the content being true.

Kris debuted in 2012 as a member of the group EXO, but after leaving the team in 2014, he worked as a singer and actor in China. Later, in 2021, he shocked the public when he was arrested on suspicion of sex crimes involving multiple women, including minors. As a person who once enjoyed popularity while performing on K-pop stages, his name is now mentioned more frequently in relation to criminal cases than his entertainment activities due to being legally punished for serious sex crimes.

The Chaoyang District People's Court of Beijing sentenced Kris to 13 years in prison in 2022, applying charges of rape and group obscenity. He was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months for rape and 1 year and 10 months for group obscenity, and was ordered to be deported to Canada after completing his sentence. The sentence was finalized after his appeal was dismissed. Kris's case remains an example showing that celebrity status and popularity cannot replace legal responsibility for serious crimes.

This "chubby shot" controversy shows how subjects that stimulate public curiosity, such as the prison life of a celebrity, are processed and consumed online. Especially in situations where it is difficult to confirm actual recent status, old photos or edited images can easily be disguised as new news. It is necessary to distinguish between the fact that Kris was sentenced to prison for serious sex crimes and the authenticity of the photos distributed online. This is the reason why one must check the source and the time of filming before being swayed by provocative images and descriptions.

Read the original (Korean)