Popular Chinese singer and actor, Zhang Yiyang, has been executed by firing squad following his conviction for the brutal murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend, a case that has rocked the Asian entertainment scene and stirred global shock.
The tragic incident, which occurred in February 2022, saw the once-rising star lure the teenage girl into a secluded forest in Xingping City, Shaanxi Province, under the guise of celebrating his birthday.
According to court records, the situation turned deadly when she allegedly expressed a desire to end the relationship. Zhang reacted by stabbing her repeatedly in the neck with a folding knife, severing her arteries and causing her instant death. He then staged the scene to look like a suicide, disposed of key evidence including her mobile phone and his bloodied clothes, and later attempted to take his own life in a hotel room before he was discovered and arrested.
The Xianyang Intermediate People’s Court found him guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced him to death, with the sentence carried out on December 18, 2024. His execution, which was only made public in July 2025, has sparked outrage online. Many critics have condemned the decision to continue promoting his work despite the gravity of his crime, calling for stricter moral standards in the entertainment industry.