Netizens Demand that Tony Yu Jingtian Withdraw from “Youth with You 3” Due to Dual Citizenship Scandal

Netizens Demand that Tony Yu Jingtian Withdraw from "Youth with You 3" Due to Dual Citizenship Scandal

Youth with You 3 is set to air its season finale next week. While there have been controversies surrounding trainees earlier in the show, it seems the ones involving Tony Yu Jingtian (余景天) have cropped up at this critical juncture. Tony has consistently been a top contender and also placed first in the most recent round of eliminations. However, netizens are now calling for his withdrawal following back-to-back accusations.

Tony’s Parents Accused of Illegal Activities

Recently, there were rumors of Tony’s parents involvement in pornography and drugs. This dates back to 2009 when there were reports that the KTV run by Tony’s parents sold drugs and recruited women to offer sexual services. On April 30, Tony Yu Jingtian’s agency Astro Music issued a statement: “Yu Jingtian has not engaged in any of the negative behavior circulating online nor has he participated in activities that have a negative impact on society.”

Tony’s mother, Li Qin (李勤), also took to Weibo to deny all the allegations against her and her husband. She explained that their family immigrated to Vancouver in 2008. They already transferred ownership of the KTV to another party before immigrating and do not have any involvement in the business. However, they only completed the relevant paperwork upon returning to China in recent years. She also said that they are working with their lawyers to take action against the false rumors and are willing to cooperate with the investigation.

Questions About Tony Yu Jingtian’s Nationality

While his mother’s statement may have put the issue to rest, it seems another one has erupted. Tony’s introduction when he joined the 2019 South Korean show Produce X 101 as a contestant has drawn attention. At the time he said, “Hi everyone, my name is Tony, I’m from Canada but both my parents are from China that’s why my Korean isn’t that good.” Some netizens are criticizing Tony for saying he’s from Canada when he’s said on Youth with You 3 that he is proud to be Chinese. Furthermore, an entertainment blogger claims that Tony has dual citizenship from China and Canada. Since China does not recognize having two nationalities, it would be illegal for Tony to still hold a Chinese passport while holding a Canadian passport. Thus far, Tony’s side has not responded to the accusations.

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