Leaked Car Footage Shows Yu Menglong Allegedly Slapped by Manager, Intensifying Abuse Claims Before His Death
BEIJING / INTERNATIONAL – 10 March 2026
Newly leaked video footage showing Chinese actor Yu Menglong being slapped hard across the face by his manager inside a car has emerged on overseas platforms, adding to mounting allegations of physical and psychological abuse the star endured in the months before his death.
The disturbing clip, reportedly filmed in mid-2025, shows Yu sitting in the passenger seat as his manager suddenly strikes him. Yu’s head snaps to the side, and his eyes visibly well with tears as he remains silent. The manager continues speaking aggressively while driving. The video is approximately 18 seconds long and appears to have been recorded from inside the vehicle, possibly by a dashboard or hidden camera.
Yu, 37, was found dead on 11 September 2025 after falling from a high-rise apartment in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. Authorities ruled the death accidental, citing alcohol intoxication, and closed the case within days. No detailed public autopsy was released, and domestic discussion of the incident has been heavily censored.
The new footage aligns with previous leaks, including airport photographs showing unexplained scars and injuries, audio fragments of screams, alleged financial records suggesting coercion, and claims of prolonged surveillance. Supporters argue the video provides visual evidence of a pattern of abuse that may have contributed to Yu’s deteriorating mental and physical state.
The manager in question has not been publicly identified in the circulating clip, and no official comment has been issued. Yu’s management company has not responded to requests for comment. The actor’s family has remained almost entirely silent since his death, reportedly under significant pressure to accept the official ruling.
The video has reignited global outrage. The Avaaz petition demanding an independent international forensic review of Yu’s death has seen a sharp increase in signatures, now exceeding 2.6 million. Human Rights Watch and several international media watchdogs have called for full transparency, urging Chinese authorities to allow independent experts to examine all medical records, communication logs, and surveillance footage from Yu’s final months.
Inside China, the footage has been swiftly removed from domestic platforms. Searches for Yu Menglong or related terms continue to return minimal or unrelated results. Overseas, however, the clip has been viewed hundreds of millions of times and analyzed frame by frame by fans and digital forensics enthusiasts.
Industry insiders speaking anonymously to foreign outlets describe a toxic environment in parts of the Chinese entertainment industry, where power imbalances between stars and management companies are common. Several former colleagues claim Yu had privately expressed fear and exhaustion in the months before his death, particularly regarding restrictive contracts and personal control.
The emergence of the slapping video has deepened the emotional toll on Yu’s global fanbase. Many describe it as heartbreaking proof of the silent suffering behind his gentle public image. “He endured so much without complaining,” said one prominent overseas fan activist. “This video shows why we cannot stop demanding the truth.”
Whether the footage will lead to any official reopening of the case remains unlikely given domestic information controls. Outside China, however, it has become the latest powerful piece of evidence in a story that continues to challenge official narratives and demand accountability.
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