- Hana Kimura is dead after an apparent suicide.
- She was only 22 years old.
- Could this have been prevented? And why are there so many problems in the world of professional wrestling?
Hana Kimura is dead.
The popular 22-year-old wrestler, who starred in an equally popular Netflix show, is suspected of having died of suicide. However, at press time, an official cause of death had not yet been released.
Stardom Wrestling, who represented Kimura, released a standard statement expressing condolences to her family.
And that seems nice enough.
But were there signs of trouble on the horizon? Could this have been prevented? And why are there so many problems in the world of professional wrestling?
Hana Kimura’s Social Media Posts Indicated She Wasn’t Doing Well
Money may be able to buy success — but as it’s been proven time and again, it can’t buy happiness.
Hana Kimura was a successful wrestler. Though Stardom Wrestling is nowhere near the level of popularity of, say, the WWE or Ring of Honor, she made a good enough living for herself.
She was also one of the stars of a popular Netflix show. In “Terrace House Tokyo,” Kimura starred with other Japanese men and women in a show that was very similar to “The Real World.” And she was beloved by her fans.
But Kimura — whose mother was professional wrestler Kyoko Kimura — also had her fair share of issues. In a set of recent tweets, as translated by a fan, she indicated that she was being cyber-bullied, and she “didn’t want to be human anymore.”
She also, eerily, signed off for the last time with one word: “goodbye.”
She was clearly sending messages begging for help.
Why didn’t anyone listen?
The WWE Isn’t The Only Problematic Wrestling Company
WWE’s abuse of their employees — their wrestlers — is no secret. But that doesn’t mean other wrestling companies aren’t as problematic as the one helmed by the McMahons.
Hana Kimura isn’t the first celebrity to reportedly take her life as a result of online bullying. And when her employers realized that she was in trouble, they should have stepped in to help.
The fact that they didn’t — the fact that they only had a carefully prepared PR statement with terse words — is a failure on their part.
No wrestler should be worked to death. And the death of Hana Kimura is a tragedy that didn’t have to happen.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
This article was edited by Aaron Weaver.
Last modified: May 23, 2020 6:07 PM UTC
