RIP Hana Kimura

[milamber]

She posted and then deleted graphic self-harm pictures on twitter in the past week. A friend of Bobbi Tyler (who wrestled in Japan the last couple of years) tweeted that she inquired after Hana and that STARDOM owner Rossy was checking on her. It was confirmed that she passed away age 22.

 

She was subject to cyber-bullying (and inappropriate DMs) for a long time and it escalated after an incident on reality show Terrace House.

 

This was one of her last posts:

 

"Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn't deny that I was hurt. I'm dead. Thank you for giving me a mother. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you to everyone who supported me. I love it. I'm weak, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to be a human anymore."

"It was a life I wanted to be loved."

"Thank you everyone, I love you."

"Bye."

 

As a big fan of STARDOM and Hana I'm devastated.

 

Official STARDOM statement:

 

Stardom fans,

 

We are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away.

 

Please be respectful and allow some time for things to process, and keep your thoughts and prayers with her family and friends.

 

We appreciate your support during this difficult time.

[The Final Countdown]

<p>So unbelievably sad. 22 years old, and with her whole life ahead of her.</p><p> </p><p>

Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but she was going to be a big big star. She had 'it.' She was special.</p><p> </p><p>

What a horrible tragedy. I honestly can't remember the last time a wrestling death (and there have been far too many) has hit me like this. Such an awful, awful shame.</p>

[Big Roguey]

Just woke up and read the news. 22 is no age to go.

[milamber]

One of the last tweets Hana liked was: People would be happy if you died. (translated from Japanese and now deleted/banned).

 

Mayu tweeted and deleted: Her killers are still living carefree, so frustrating.

 

[LoNdOn]

Poor, poor girl. Tragedy.

[Questlove]

How many more people have to kill themselves before social media as an issue gets seriously confronted? When will people realize the hurt they can inflict by spouting nonsense on Twitter?

 

It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but when I started following STARDOM regularly she instantly stood out to me. She had such charisma and charm and carried herself like a star, like she owned the place. She was special and she would have made it big.

 

I'm pretty heartbroken over this. I've suffered with depression since my early teens but never in my life have I been in the position where I genuinely thought everybody would be happier if I was dead. She either had no idea how many people would miss her or the pain was too much to care, I can't wrap my head around that.

 

RIP Hana.

[BHK1978]

How many more people have to kill themselves before social media as an issue gets seriously confronted? When will people realize the hurt they can inflict by spouting nonsense on Twitter?

 

Twitter is a cesspool, I am so glad I got rid of it. A buddy of mine said to me about a year ago, "Get rid of Twitter and you will be much happier." Now I was never really active on Twitter but I decided to take his advice and he was absolutely right.

 

Same goes for Facebook, I got rid of it years ago after some crazy chick stalked me on it and told me she was going to show up at my house. That was enough for me and I got rid of it. That was one of the best things I have ever done.

 

If I can give anyone any sound advice I would say either delete your social media accounts or severely scale back your interactions on such sites, you will be better off for it in the long run.

[Remianen]

How many more people have to kill themselves before social media as an issue gets seriously confronted? When will people realize the hurt they can inflict by spouting nonsense on Twitter?

 

It's a Pandora's Box situation. It's open now. Anything you do isn't going to fix the underlying issue (that being, there are a lot of awful human beings in the world. Giving them an audience just allows them to emerge from the dark holes they've been living in).

 

I loved Hana. She was the complete package. Kairi and Io going to America (to be grossly misused) really allowed her to spread her wings and show just how bright her future was. There were people who wondered what STARDOM would do after Io left. Turns out, they had an abundance of aces and Hana just stepped into the breech.

 

I can imagine Kyoko is devastated. No parent should ever have to bury a child. But this is just another example of the dark side of fame. People come at you crazy just for a chance to get a response from someone "famous".

[franticloser]

Just read the news heartbreaking, with this being Mental Health Awareness month in the states. Just know if any of you are dealing with cyber bullying or any form of mental health illness, you aren't alone and feel free to reach out to me. I'm always around to at least talk. This is just sad in a week of really sad wrestling news this takes the cake. So needless people need to realize that words really can hurt a lot more then anything else and just because you can hide behind a keyboard doesn't mean you have free license to say things that affect others in this way. I hope those who brought this are found out and I really hope someone can stand up and figure out a way to start putting an end to this kind of crap. Thoughts and prayers to her friends and family and I hope there is justice for them and Hana Kimura found some sort of peace.

[RobinS]

She was my favorite. My heart is broken.

[CGN91]

I was skyping with a mate of mine while Hana posted her bloody arms. We were so shocked and hoped that somebody helped her, but it was too late. I woke up two hours ago and saw the news.

 

Rest in peace Hana

[milamber]

Kairi tweeted that she read Hana's last tweet because of the time difference (it was early morning in Japan) and her and Io video chatted to owner Rossy Ogawa and Jungle Kyona. It sounds like Kyona went to check on Hana but was too late

[Alfiriel]

And I thought 2020 was bad already... what the **** is wrong with people to act like that to her.

 

Multi talented in different fields of media, and all I heared an absolute world open joy to work with when it comes to wrestling, always supportive to her co-workers etc.

 

Even her god damn farewell letter(post) was an absolutely wholesome affair, thanking her fans and saying goodbye to meet in a better place.

 

Seriously... unbelievable the kid had all her life in front of her.

[Blackman]

Tragic. In the short time I was teaching I made it a point to tell the 12 year olds on how to communicate properly on the internet. I noticed they constantly tell themselves to go kill themselves, despite being acquaintances or friends (insulting one's mother has been a common practice in the West for years). Even if it's a joke, it's not the way to communicate. These young ones take that language to the internet where all sense of context is gone. It can be really hurtful to people with an inflated need for affection and the uncanny ability to take everyone seriously. This is a good trait, but it leads to them putting way too much weight on random troll posts by nobodies with no knowledge of you as a person. These people need to be protected from this medium as it's not as easy as to tell them "not to care about random people's opinions".

 

I have no idea why she would be bullied as she seemed like an amazing talent with no visible weakness. Apparently she lashed out at someone who made a mistake and washed her ring gear, and people took her for a horrible person (). Maybe someone else can shed more light on this. I don't know what her family situation is but tragic no one who reached out to her was able to make her dismiss these thoughts. 100's of hatemails in a week is not that uncommon for someone of some fame. I assume everyone gets them (except maybe Dwayne Johnson, he's loved by everyone ). Young people need to learn how to deal with this and place it in the grander scheme of things. Maybe she was groomed too quickly to be the star there and wasn't instructed on the darker side of fame? We'll probably never know.

 

RIP

 

Multi talented in different fields of media, and all I heared an absolute world open joy to work with when it comes to wrestling, always supportive to her co-workers etc.

 

That is indeed the profile of someone who is most vulnerable to this kind of 'bullying'. It doesn't make sense to them that they are being criticised despite displaying exemplary behaviour.

[PuroJoshi]

Teared up when I read it this morning, she was such a kind soul and such an amazingly talented wrestler. Everybody I know that worked with her had nothing but great things to say about her, she'll be heavily missed by me and so many others :(

[milamber]

Tragic. In the short time I was teaching I made it a point to tell the 12 year olds on how to communicate properly on the internet. I noticed they constantly tell themselves to go kill themselves, despite being acquaintances or friends (insulting one's mother has been a common practice in the West for years). Even if it's a joke, it's not the way to communicate. These young ones take that language to the internet where all sense of context is gone. It can be really hurtful to people with an inflated need for affection and the uncanny ability to take everyone seriously. This is a good trait, but it leads to them putting way too much weight on random troll posts by nobodies with no knowledge of you as a person. These people need to be protected from this medium as it's not as easy as to tell them "not to care about random people's opinions".

 

I have no idea why she would be bullied as she seemed like an amazing talent with no visible weakness. Apparently she lashed out at someone who made a mistake and washed her ring gear, and people took her for a horrible person (). Maybe someone else can shed more light on this. I don't know what her family situation is but tragic no one who reached out to her was able to make her dismiss these thoughts. 100's of hatemails in a week is not that uncommon for someone of some fame. I assume everyone gets them (except maybe Dwayne Johnson, he's loved by everyone ). Young people need to learn how to deal with this and place it in the grander scheme of things. Maybe she was groomed too quickly to be the star there and wasn't instructed on the darker side of fame? We'll probably never know.

 

RIP

 

 

 

That is indeed the profile of someone who is most vulnerable to this kind of 'bullying'. It doesn't make sense to them that they are being criticised despite displaying exemplary behaviour.

 

The Terrace House incident was filmed in January. The guy involved agreed to go on a double date but turns out he couldn't afford it because he's broke and hardly works, spent most of his time sitting in the house playing his DJ music loudly. Another guy had to pay for the date. Then she left her ring gear in the machine after washing it and he re-washed it with his own clothes, accidentally shrinking it. With the heavy STARDOM schedule she had to resort to wearing her old ring gear. She slapped him and berated him on camera. I can understand why she blew up because wrestling was her greatest love and her full-time job but she did go too far. I get the feeling that was just the boiling point given that there was no malicious intent. The sad thing is I think the guy was suffering depression. Some of show's fans were wishing Hana to die afterwards. It got so bad she started blocking comments on her social media accounts and actually liking some of the abusive tweets.

 

I've read rumors of her being bullied from a young age due to her parents being Japanese and Indonesian, something that is apparently discriminated against. She also received a lot of inappropriate DMs, which I imagine a lot of female wrestlers have to put with.

[cappyboy]

Man, I read stories like this and always find myself thinking "There but for the grace of God go I". Between being really short and engaging in habits the other kids just didn't understand, I was bullied mightily through my school years. In junior high, for example, rainy day indoor breaks could find me surrounded by bigger guys tormenting me for the crime of beatboxing. Apparently this behavior was too unacceptably abnormal for them to let go. Even though I would be off in my own little corner of the room staying out of the way doing it for my own amusement.

 

Thankfully I learned the art of self-depreciation. I learned how to thank people for noticing I was weird before they could give me guff about it. And over time, I came to truly appreciate the little quirks that made me Cappy. But it was a real fake it to make it situation at first. Took quite a while before I truly meant what I was saying. Do wonder sometimes where I'd be or even if I'd be had I not learned though. Truly a shame that a gifted young woman living the dream of so many couldn't get to the same place. But we all have our own journeys and not all of them end well. RIP Hana Kimura. May your experience save others from enduring the hell you did.

[soxfan93]

Absolutely horrific news to wake up to this morning. RIP Hana Kimura.

[LoNdOn]

Just wanted to do a small tribute for her:

 

[Crychon]

Just an incredibly sad situation all around.

[Makhai]

Reality TV is a scourge that has corroded society for far too long. Turn that crap off people. The parties over.

[milamber]

https://www.ringsidenews.com/2020/05/23/watch-terrace-house-scene-that-caused-bullying-which-led-to-hana-kimura-suicide/

 

Hana cried while discussing the situation. It could have been any other garment, but it was her Wrestle Kingdom gear. This gear was custom made. She stated that you can’t get it at a department store. She went “back and forth” with designers to figure out the perfect look and it was custom made to fit only her. Hana Kimura stated that it cost her “over a grand” to make the gear.

 

The episode was filmed in January, but aired in late March. In the episode, a cast member named Kai accidentally washed Kimura’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 gear. The problem was how he dealt with this situation and it caused Hana Kimura so much heartbreak.

 

Hana Kimura did admit that it was partly her fault for not taking her gear out of the washer when she and Kai were going out on a trip before a double date. Then Hana knocked Kai’s cap off his head and got angry at him.

 

Hana said she worked hard for her gear and didn’t feel as though Kai took it seriously. She then went into how his life doesn’t represent one with much responsibility. During the scene, Hana Kimura said: “These are as important as my life.”

 

In the end, Hana Kimura did strike Kai over the incident. The cast members talked about the situation and everything was seemingly resolved. Then when the episode aired fans took to social media and targeted Hana Kimura. This sent her into a downward spiral of depression for weeks before she committed suicide.

 

[Lo-Drew]

I'm gutted. I finally committed to getting STARDOM Wold because of her in January. Unreal charisma. I don't think I've ever seen a wrestler with that much raw charisma. She had so much to look forward to and was easily going to be one of their top stars (she already was but you know what I mean). Sad day.

[JJArocho]

My deepest condolences to Hana Kimura's immediate family. Her WK match was not televised on NJPWWorld due to contractual agreements, but I would have liked to have seen her as well as the Stardom women at that show.

 

That being said, the Internet, and social media in particular, can do some rather damaging and disturbing things to one's being. Even what may seem to be the pettiest of things for any one of us can be extremely important to the person that is being targeted. We, as a society that is supposed to be civilized, should know better than to act like inhumane morons and bully her for her choice of wear, her lifestyle, or even her whole being.

 

RIP Hana Kimura, you will be missed.

[Makhai]

https://www.ringsidenews.com/2020/05/23/watch-terrace-house-scene-that-caused-bullying-which-led-to-hana-kimura-suicide/

 

Hana cried while discussing the situation. It could have been any other garment, but it was her Wrestle Kingdom gear. This gear was custom made. She stated that you can’t get it at a department store. She went “back and forth” with designers to figure out the perfect look and it was custom made to fit only her. Hana Kimura stated that it cost her “over a grand” to make the gear.

 

The episode was filmed in January, but aired in late March. In the episode, a cast member named Kai accidentally washed Kimura’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 gear. The problem was how he dealt with this situation and it caused Hana Kimura so much heartbreak.

 

Hana Kimura did admit that it was partly her fault for not taking her gear out of the washer when she and Kai were going out on a trip before a double date. Then Hana knocked Kai’s cap off his head and got angry at him.

 

Hana said she worked hard for her gear and didn’t feel as though Kai took it seriously. She then went into how his life doesn’t represent one with much responsibility. During the scene, Hana Kimura said: “These are as important as my life.”

 

In the end, Hana Kimura did strike Kai over the incident. The cast members talked about the situation and everything was seemingly resolved. Then when the episode aired fans took to social media and targeted Hana Kimura. This sent her into a downward spiral of depression for weeks before she committed suicide.

 

 

Honestly think this is getting way too much play. You don't kill yourself because somebody shrunk your ring gear on accident. This is a Japanese culture thing, because they're... non-welcoming to bi-racial people. I don't know if anybody has lived in Japan before, but had a friend who went over for a year on a cultural exchange thing and I was told firmly... great place to visit. Horrible place to live. Companies openly discriminate against any non-male full japanese person. They have very backward ideas about the role of women in society, and very fierce ties to not just country, but town-by-town prejudice and rivalry.

 

Being half-Japanese in that society makes you an alien in your own country. And her being that young, in that spot, about to be pushed as a Main Event attraction in a growing company with her on social media, was a powderkeg that I think many will have to re-evalueate as we go forward. Especially piling the reality show fallout on top of it. This is sadly a story of way to much, way too soon, and if STARDOM's plan is to push these barely 20-year-old girls and try and turn them into Pop-Idols they may want to reconsider.