$28 Million Slave Contract: Yu Menglong Trapped by Tianyu Media – Leaked Evidence Rocks Chinese Showbiz
A 30-page document titled “Fair, Equal, Voluntary Art Cooperation Contract” — but in reality a tool for total life and career control — was leaked by Chi Lili, a former Tianyu Media executive. The contract is believed to have bound actor Yu Menglong for years, with a termination penalty exceeding 200 million RMB (≈ $28 million USD).
According to the disclosed clauses:
- Tianyu retains permanent rights to the artist’s name, image, voice, and biography even after the contract ends.
- All creative works produced worldwide, forever, belong to Tianyu or any third party it designates.
- The company controls all the artist’s social media accounts, with every profit permanently going to Tianyu.
- The artist must obey every work arrangement — paid or unpaid — without refusal.
- Revenue split: 70% to Tianyu, only 30% to the artist.
- If the artist terminates early or is terminated for “fault,” the penalty is calculated as: (highest monthly income × 12) × (remaining years) × (project compensation multiplier). For Yu Menglong — whose peak monthly income was around 20,000 RMB — the total easily surpassed 200 million RMB.
Chi Lili — who leaked the document — stated in an anonymous interview that she personally witnessed Yu Menglong being dragged into hallways and beaten by “manager” Du Qiang (described as a bodyguard/enforcer). Numerous “accidents” on set — falls from heights, heavy objects dropping, chemical burns — were reportedly not entirely accidental.
After the leak spread, Tianyu Media swiftly denied authenticity and threatened legal action. However, resurfaced clips of Yu Menglong appearing gaunt and visibly injured during 2023–2024 livestreams are now being widely compared, fueling massive online outrage.
This case is far more than Yu Menglong’s personal tragedy. It exposes a dark side of China’s entertainment industry: major agencies using “slave contracts” to turn artists into profit-generating assets rather than human beings. Numerous other young stars are quietly enduring similar conditions but remain silent due to the crushing financial penalties.
China’s cultural regulators and Ministry of Labor have not yet issued an official comment, but mounting public pressure is forcing action. Will Yu Menglong ever be freed? And how many other artists remain imprisoned by similar contracts?
Full clauses, event timeline, and industry reactions are available below.
Should contracts like this be completely banned in China? Share your thoughts in the comments