Yesterday, we reported on some distressing tweets from Hana Kimura, a 22 year old wrestler from the STARDOM promotion in Japan. She was on a constant rise, one of the momre popular stars the promotion had to offer. After posting some tweets that also involved graphic depections of self harm, fans were worried. Friends would reach out to her, and she would say she was as okay as she could be. However, there is no good news to come out of this situation, as Kimura has been pronounced as dead. The news was made official by the official STARDOM account.
Cyber Bullying Played A Role In Her Death
While the cause of death has not been officially announced, it isn’t hard to put the pieces together. Kimura got a role on the reality show Terrance House, and said she took it because she wanted to make more people interested in professional wrestling. During an episode, she lost her temper with Kai Kobayashi, one of her co-stars on the program. This was due to them not taking her ring gear out of the wash before washing their own clothes, ruining her gear. It was the gear she had worn in her debut at the Tokyo Dome, which gave it some special meaning to Kimura. After this incident, she was portrayed as a villian, and would get mountains of hate mail on a daily basis from fans of the show.
Mental health issues can effect many, and being a public figure almost makes you a target. However, it doesn’t matter how famous someone is, they are still human at the end of the day. When given an open stream of communication to them, through platforms like Twitter, you shouldn’t abuse them. This applies to wrestling fans as well, as you can see abuse thrown at many wrestlers on a daily basis. At the end of the day, they are actors playing characters. Their on-screen actions don’t warrant hate mail.
Hana Kimura Will Be Missed
From the outpouring of concern yesterday, to a sea of reactions to her passing from fans and co-workers alike, it is very clear that Kimura will be missed. Not only as a promising in ring worker, but as a friend and family member. She was a well loved figure on all levels of the sport, and this news has everyone rattled. We here at The Overtimer wish her family and friends all the best in these hard times.
Do you have any favorite Hana Kimura moments or matches from her career? Let us know in the comment section down below.
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