Chinese actor executed for murdering 16-year-old girlfriend... first Chinese celebrity to do so

It has been revealed that Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang was executed by firing squad. This is the first case of a celebrity being sentenced to death in China, where the death penalty is still in place.

According to recent reports from Singaporean media and other foreign news outlets, the court in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, China, recently released a public announcement stating that Zhang Yiyang was executed immediately after being sentenced to death on December 18 last year.

　In February 2022, Zhang Yiyang lured his then-16-year-old girlfriend, Ms. A, into a forest under the pretext of celebrating her birthday. However, when Ms. A suggested breaking up, he stabbed her multiple times with a pre-prepared weapon, causing her death from excessive bleeding and suffocation.

　Immediately after the crime, Zhang Yiyang returned home, washed his clothes and the weapon, disposed of them, and attempted suicide at a hotel, but was arrested after an employee reported him.

The court ruled that his crime was premeditated and that he showed no signs of remorse, and immediately carried out the death sentence. As a result, Zhang Yiyang became the first Chinese celebrity to be executed.

　Zhang Yiyang debuted on a variety show in 2012, released an album in 2015, and subsequently appeared in films and web dramas. He was not particularly well-known, and after his execution, a film he had appeared in was released in March of this year, sparking controversy.