11 sentenced in Ho Chi Minh City over coffin-carrying stunt to promote clothing on social media

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court handed down the sentences on Tuesday, convicting the group of disturbing public order.

According to the indictment, on March 1, 2025, the TikTok account “Never GG” posted a video showing four people dressed in black carrying a black coffin bearing the white slogans “Never GG” and “Die Everyday.”

The clip quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread attention and mixed reactions online.

Ho Chi Minh City police later summoned those involved for questioning.

In early 2024, Ho Ngoc Tuan created the TikTok account “Never GG” with the intention of selling clothing online, though no business activities were initially carried out.

In October 2024, Tuan partnered with Nguyen Van Quyet and Vu Thi Thanh Xuan, Quyet’s wife, to launch online clothing sales, which were advertised on the “Never GG” TikTok page.

During the process, Tuan hired Nguyen Dang Khoa to help find garment workshops for production.

Prosecutors said Tuan designed the outfits worn in the video, cut decals of the two slogans and pasted them onto the sides of the coffin, and arranged for four people to carry it through the streets to film promotional footage in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

He later purchased the coffin for VND3.5 million (about US$140) from a funeral service provider in Long Trach Commune, Long An Province, and paid to have it repainted black.

Tuan also hired the seller and four others to carry the coffin for VND500,000 ($19.3) each for the filming, according to investigators.

At about 10:00 am on February 25, Tuan, Khoa, Quyet, Xuan, Tai, and a model gathered at a studio on Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, while Tham and four others transported the coffin to the location by car.

After filming inside the studio, Tuan instructed the group around 2:00 pm to carry the coffin about 200 meters along Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, briefly moving against traffic toward Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street before returning to the studio to continue recording promotional footage.

Unsatisfied with the initial shots, the group later moved to the area in front of Ben Thanh Market in Ben Thanh Ward.

At around 3:00 pm, the coffin was carried along Le Lai Street toward the Le Lai-Tran Hung Dao intersection and the southern gate of the market, before being returned to the vehicle and transported back to Long An Province for storage.

On March 1, Tuan uploaded the clip of four men carrying the coffin to the “Never GG” TikTok account.

As of 4:00 am on March 3, the video had received 8,185 likes, 925 comments, 366 saves, and 4,127 shares.

At trial, Tuan said he drew inspiration from similar videos overseas and claimed the group was initially unaware their actions constituted a crime.

The other defendants admitted wrongdoing.

The panel of judges said the stunt was offensive and disrupted public life in the surrounding area, identifying Tuan as the ringleader.

However, the court also cited mitigating factors including first-time offenses, cooperation with investigators, and expressions of remorse.