LayarHijau – In the early hours of February 28, a series of screenshots and video recordings claiming to show “Wang Yibo’s private chat on Xiaohongshu” spread rapidly across social media, drawing massive attention from netizens. The content linked Wang Yibo to an old rumor with Qi Meihe, faked their interactions, fabricated high-end consumption records such as expensive wine purchases and airport VIP usage, and even attributed false remarks insulting over ten other celebrities, misleading public opinion.
After going viral, netizens discovered a critical flaw in the evidence shared by the poster: the supposed private chat was actually created by someone who used Wang Yibo’s deactivated phone number to register a new Xiaohongshu account, then staged the conversation between two accounts to fabricate the interaction. This proves that the chat was not an authentic conversation from Wang Yibo.
Wang Yibo’s management, Yuehua Entertainment, released an official statement the same morning, affirming that the circulating content is “seriously false defamatory information” and described the incident as a “deliberate social deception and entrapment.” They demanded all involved parties immediately remove infringing content and cease further dissemination.
Prominent lawyer Zhang Qihuai emphasized that perpetrators of fake Wang Yibo chats could face serious legal consequences: for less severe violations, they must remove the content, issue an apology, and compensate for damages; for more serious violations, they could face detention, fines, or even up to 3 years of imprisonment.
According to Zhang, fabricating chats that damage someone’s reputation violates Article 1024 of the Civil Code on protection of honor, requiring the perpetrator to immediately stop the infringement, delete content, apologize publicly, and compensate for both economic and emotional damages. In serious cases, criminal liability may also apply.
Given that multiple related topics trended with total readership reaching hundreds of millions, Zhang stressed that if the celebrity’s team pursues the case firmly, perpetrators could face even harsher legal penalties. Under Article 50 of the Public Security Administration Punishment Law, defamation may result in up to 5 days of detention or a fine of 500 yuan; in more serious cases, detention of 5–10 days plus a fine applies. If the false information is viewed over 5,000 times or shared more than 500 times, it meets the “serious circumstances” threshold under Article 246 of the Criminal Law, with a maximum prison term of 3 years, in addition to civil compensation obligations.
Zhang also warned that some netizens mistakenly believe “retweeting doesn’t count.” Even sharing content can result in liability if they knowingly disseminate fake chats, or if they fail to exercise reasonable verification and cause harm, making them subject to civil obligations to remove content and issue an apology.
For legal protection, Zhang advised that celebrities and their teams immediately secure evidence via notarization or blockchain, file complaints with platforms to remove content, limit its spread, disclose the real identity of perpetrators, and pursue civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings if applicable.
“Those who must compensate should compensate, those who must bear legal responsibility should do so. We must be brave and skilled in using the law to protect our dignity. Confront defamation, never compromise, never tolerate, and defend your legal rights fully,” Zhang Qihuai stated firmly.
