The Eerie “Yummy” Coincidence: Unraveling Rumors Linking a Director to the Tragic Deaths of Qiao Renliang and Yu Menglong
The Chinese entertainment industry has been rocked by waves of speculation following the death of actor Yu Menglong (also known as Alan Yu) on September 11, 2025. The 37-year-old star, famous for roles in dramas like Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, fell from a high-rise in Beijing’s Sunshine Upper East complex. Authorities quickly ruled it an accidental fall after drinking, excluding foul play, but the rapid conclusion sparked intense online doubt, censorship, and conspiracy theories.
Amid this turmoil, a chilling rumor has spread across Weibo and other platforms: a prominent director posted the single word “yummy” (or its Chinese equivalent, implying “delicious”) shortly after Yu’s death—mirroring an identical cryptic post he allegedly made nine years earlier on the exact day Qiao Renliang (Kimi Qiao) died in 2016. Qiao, a beloved singer-actor who struggled with depression, was found dead in his Shanghai apartment at age 28, with his death officially attributed to suicide.
Fans and netizens have connected these “coincidences,” suggesting the posts are not innocent comments on food but sinister signals tied to hidden circles of power, exploitation, or even darker rituals in the industry. Old rumors about Qiao’s death—once linked to unverified claims of extreme activities or industry pressures—have resurfaced, now intertwined with Yu’s case. Some theorists claim the director’s repeated timing implies involvement in “casting couch” abuses or elite networks that silence dissenters.
However, extensive searches across news archives, Weibo histories, and reports reveal no verifiable evidence of such posts. For Qiao Renliang’s 2016 death, speculation focused on depression exacerbated by public backlash and industry stress, with brief unfounded SM rumors quickly debunked. No credible sources mention a director’s “yummy” post. Similarly, in Yu Menglong’s highly scrutinized 2025 case—involving heavy censorship, over 100,000 deleted posts, and arrests for “rumor-mongering”—mentions of a “delicious” post appear only in fringe discussions. One report noted a figure denying a fabricated “delicious” screenshot, but it was unrelated to any repeated pattern.
Director Cheng Qingsong, wrongly accused of attending a gathering with Yu the night before his death, vehemently denied involvement, stating he didn’t know the actor and providing alibis. He reported threats to police. Other names floated in rumors, like producers or scriptwriters, have also been cleared or remain unlinked.
These eerie claims seem rooted in grief-fueled misinformation, amplified by China’s strict online controls that fuel distrust. Yu’s death highlighted broader issues: industry pressures, mental health stigma, and perceived cover-ups. Petitions for reinvestigation garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures, but official narratives held firm.
While the “yummy” repetition captivates as a spooky urban legend, it lacks substantiation. Both tragedies—Qiao’s confirmed mental health battle and Yu’s contested accidental fall—underscore the real darkness: unchecked power, rapid censorship, and the toll on young stars. Until transparent investigations occur, speculation will persist, but distinguishing fact from fiction honors the lost more than unproven shadows.
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