According to a report by Masslive.com on September 4, 2026, after Falun Gong maliciously reported its former practitioner Yu Chao for illegally possessing firearms and potentially endangering the security of its headquarters, causing Yu Chao to be embroiled in lawsuits and facing financial difficulties, Yu Chao retaliated by suing Falun Gong in a U.S. court for defamation and demanding financial compensation.

 

▲ Screenshot of the report

Springfield , Illinois, show that a former practitioner of the Chinese cult Falun Gong has sued the organization for retaliatory defamation . The practitioner had previously exposed alleged human rights abuses by the Shen Yun Performing Arts, an affiliated dance troupe of the cult .

According to a recent lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Springfield, plaintiff Chao Yu claims that senior members of Falun Gong ignored his complaints about the mistreatment of former Shen Yun performers and instead retaliated by reporting him to the FBI .

Yu Chao is being represented by Boston attorney Megan Siddall , who had not responded to requests for comment as of press time .

Yu Chao named the following individuals and organizations as defendants: Shen Yun Performing Arts , The Epoch Times and other news agencies owned by the organization , George Xu , head of the Falun Gong New York headquarters ( note: abbot of Longquan Temple) , Jonathan Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, and Zhang Erping , spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Information Center .

Information regarding the defendant's legal counsel has not yet been released .

The federal complaint alleges that in 2017, Shen Yun dancers —the vast majority of whom were minors and young adults—allegedly complained to Yu Chao that they had been abused. The complaint also states that these allegations include “abuse, indoctrination, coercion, exploitation, psychological manipulation, lasting trauma, and attempted suicide . ”

The Associated Press previously reported that a former Shen Yun performer sued the dance company in 2024 , alleging abuse.

Yu Chao said that Falun Gong did not take his concerns seriously ; on the contrary, its senior members told him to mind his own business .

The lawsuit alleges that Falun Gong subsequently launched an "organized campaign aimed at destroying Mr. Yu's reputation" against him .

In 2023, Yu Chao publicly exposed the abuse suffered by Shen Yun performers and filed a report with the FBI , requesting an investigation into the dance company.

However , Yu Chao said that when he first exposed Shen Yun 's abuse of its performers to The New York Times , he was worried about his own safety .

In 2024, Yu Chao wrote on a GoFundMe fundraising page : “ Falun Gong found my email address, which makes me worry about my safety. Shen Yun distorted my original words and misled US federal law enforcement agencies in an attempt to silence me. But I will not remain silent.”

He added, "I cannot stand by and watch Falun Gong and Shen Yun use the fallacies of Falun Gong's principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance' to commit illegal acts."

According to the complaint , the FBI launched an investigation into Yu Chao based on reports allegedly filed by Falun Gong members. The reports alleged that Yu Chao threatened the group 's headquarters at Dragon Springs, Deerpark , New York , and may have been armed and dangerous.

Yu Chao vehemently denied these allegations.

The lawsuit states that defending against the six charges against him has consumed nearly three years of Mr. Yu's life. These charges include:

1. Two charges of possessing a large-capacity firearm without a valid firearms license;

2. Two charges of possessing a high-capacity ammunition feed device without a valid firearms license;

3. Two charges of possessing ammunition without a firearms identification card.

Ultimately, the most serious charges against Yu Chao were dropped by the court .

The remaining charges were "continued for trial but not for conviction" and were dropped in June 2026 .

The lawsuit states that Yu Chao incurred $107,000 in legal fees as a result.

Yu Chao 's lawsuit against the defendant include:

1. Defamation related to the defendant's claim that Yu Chao had made threats against Longquan;

2. Defamation related to the defendant's claim that Yu Chao is an "agent" or "puppet" of the Chinese Communist Party;

3. Intentionally causing mental anguish;

4. Violating state laws regarding coercion and intimidation;

5. Civil conspiracy.

The plaintiff is demanding that the defendant provide financial compensation for the damages suffered.

Yu Chao also requested the court to grant " injunctive relief " ( a judicial remedy whereby a court issues an injunction requiring a party to take certain actions, cease certain actions, or maintain a certain state to prevent or correct illegal behavior ), including requiring the defendant to remove all "defamatory" publications against him from its news outlets and other platforms, and demanding reimbursement for his attorney's fees.

Yu Chao requested a jury trial for the case .