Jet Li Goes Topless To Quash Heart Transplant Rumours

Organ harvesting has recently been a hot topic among Chinese netizens — some believe that certain individuals in showbiz are involved in these shady undertakings. 

Not even the iconic Jet Li is spared from wild gossip. Rumours that the 62-year-old star underwent a heart transplant have been swirling recently.

Jet was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 2013, and has long struggled with health issues. He has had to be on long-term medication, which caused his eyes to bulge and his neck to swell, causing much public concern. 

He was hospitalised in August this year in Singapore, and shared that he had "just gone through another unexpected trial". That evening, he jokingly posted on Weibo that his "hardware had malfunction, and required some repairs", but later posts showed him to be in noticeably good spirits. 

Two days later, he revealed that he had a benign tumour, which had been successfully removed. 

Last month, Jet stepped down as the ambassador of the International Wushu Federation, passing the title to Chinese actor Wu Jing. The two filmed a short clip together where they showed off their kung fu chops, leaving netizens amazed by the speed at which Jet recovered. 

However, wild online conspiracy theories soon spread, and Jet found himself caught in the middle of it all. 

There were rumours that the organs of late Shaolin monk, Qiu Feng, were supposedly meant to be transplanted into a "martial arts superstar", implying that it was Jet. 

Netizens claimed that Qiu Feng, who was dubbed "most handsome Shaolin monk", did not die in a car crash as reported, but had actually been murdered and had his organs harvested.

As the rumours intensified, Jet finally dispelled speculation on his own terms on Nov 1. 

How? By posting a video of himself swimming shirtless. 

His bare chest can clearly be seen and there were no visible surgical scars. How's that for a direct response to the crazy online chatter?

Jet also said: "Words can be very deadly. Living in this era, we must think independently, and analyse things for ourselves instead of running with what others say."

"Although I don't know [Qiu Feng] I wish [people] wouldn't use the tragedy of others to stir discussion," he asserted.

The controversy follows the mysterious death of actor Yu Menglong, which triggered a wave of online conspiracy theories involving Chinese elites, the entertainment industry, and alleged dark practices such as money laundering, arms dealing, and even ritual sacrifices.