He was given the death penalty.
Koreaboo
Zhang Yiyang has become the first known celebrity to be executed in mainland China after being found guilty of murdering his underage girlfriend.
The actor, who was 31 years old at the time of the crime, was sentenced to death for killing his 16-year-old girlfriend and attempting to cover it up by staging the scene as a suicide.
According to a report recently released by the Intermediate People’s Court of Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province, the case occurred in February 2022. Zhang had lured the teenage girl, who allegedly came from the same village, into a forest in Xingping City under the pretense of celebrating his birthday. During the celebrations, Zhang and his girlfriend argued after she shared her intention to end the relationship.
In response, the actor used a folding knife to stab her multiple times in the neck, severing her carotid artery and windpipe. The victim died from mechanical asphyxiation. After the killing, Zhang attempted to take his own life but was unsuccessful. He was later arrested and charged with intentional homicide. The court ruled that his actions were extremely violent and caused serious social harm.
It also noted that Zhang had a long history of emotionally manipulating the victim and threatening suicide as a means of control. These factors contributed to the court’s decision to issue the death penalty. He was executed on December 18, 2024, at the age of 33.
Following the announcement, the case garnered a lot off attention online and sparked heated reactions. Many were surprised to learn that despite receiving the death penalty, Zhang had not been placed on the official blacklist of “disgraced celebrities,” and some of his past work remains publicly accessible.
Zhang has become the first known entertainer in China to be legally sentenced to death and executed.
