The suicide of a Chinese gaming influencer triggered salvos of cyberbullying against his former girlfriend after she was portrayed online as a gold digger who ultimately drove him to end his life. However, a police investigation revealed that social media had purposefully been misled, and the victim’s sister was behind the hate campaign.
Liu Jie, 21, better known by his gaming handle Pangmao (meaning “Fat Cat”), jumped from Shibanpo Yangtze River Bridge in Chongqing on April 11. Police recovered his body 12 days later. One of the final messages he sent was to his 27-yearold girlfriend, Tan Zhu, which read, “We are finished.”
Initial posts pointed squarely at Tan, with claims she had drained Liu’s finances before ending their relationship in a cruel breakup. Screenshots of chat and bank records leaked by Liu’s sister, 28, showed that over the course of two years, Liu had given Tan more than 510,000 yuan (US$70,800), which she spent on phone bills, travel and opening a flower shop.
After weeks of abuse and threats to her safety, Tan filed a police report against Liu’s sister for violation of privacy on May 3. Two days later, Liu’s sister countered, accusing Tan of fraud.
But things took an unexpected turn when Chongqing police revealed their detailed investigation results on May 19, which not only showed that Tan and Liu were in a loving relationship and had planned a future together, but also that Tan was financially independent and cleared of any fraud charges. Liu’s sister, however, was found to have fabricated and disseminated false information about Tan to “pay the price” for Liu spending so much of his earnings on her. Liu’s sister and other influencers named in the case could face charges, authorities said.
The announcement stirred public debate about disinformation, doxxing and social prejudices that demonize women. Many criticized Liu’s sister for manipulating public opinion and invading Tan’s privacy, while others argued that the Chinese internet owed Tan an apology. Both experts and media urged social media users not to jump to rash conclusions and refrain from abusive comments.
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