The death of 22-year-old Hana Kimura, a Japanese pro wrestler starring in the newest season of the Netflix reality show Terrace House, is swiftly morphing into a narrative about the possible perils of cyberbullying.
An official cause of death has not yet been announced. However, speculation grew that Kimura took her life on Friday.
Fan translations of Kimura’s tweets from earlier in the day indicated that she felt weak and no longer wanted “to be a human”, according to media reports. Kimura’s tweets have since been taken down so the translations cannot be verified.
Kimura’s last post on Instagram was a picture of herself and a cat with the message: “I love you, have a long, happy life. I’m sorry”.
Kimura was part of Stardom Wrestling, which confirmed Kimura’s death Friday night in a tweet.
“We are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away,” the organisation said in a statement.
Kimura was found dead at her home, Japanese media said.
Kimura was one of six people living together in front of cameras for Terrace House. The reality series claimed to have no script and said its goal was to observe what happens behind closed doors when strangers cohabitate. Drama ensued, including an exchange that fans have said led to extensive bullying of Kimura.
Social media posts with #RIPHanaKimura focused on the torrent of online criticism targeting the star after a Terrace House episode in which she slapped a housemate for washing her wrestling costume. In the episode, Kimura cries over the ruined costume and questions why her roommate had been careless.
“These are as important as my life,” she says of the expensive costume.
The backlash against Kimura has now shifted to outrage over her critics and the pain they apparently inflicted from the safety of their keyboards.
“I’m sorry Hana that this world was cruel to you and that you could not find your peace,” one user wrote.
Pro wrestler Adam Pacitti tweeted: “The death of Hana Kimura is an absolute tragedy. I hope this serves as a reminder that interactions on social media can have a serious effect on the mental health of anyone, no matter who they are. Be kind. RIP.”
Kimura, whose mother Kyoko was also a famous pro-wrestler, performed at a sold-out Madison Square Garden event by Japan Pro-Wrestling and US Ring of Honour.
Yukio Hatoyama, Japan’s former prime minister, also posted about Kimura’s death on Twitter, saying Japan should consider penalties for those who target individuals for severe online harassment.
Netflix told The Los Angeles Times on Saturday that it was postponing the release of new episodes of Terrace House. Production on the series already had been stopped because of the coronavirus outbreak.
In South Korea, cyberbullying made headlines last year when two female K-pop stars, Goo Hara and Sulli, died by suicide after facing online attacks.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters
If you, or someone you know, are having suicidal thoughts, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.