The 13 Reasons Why controversy continues, as the families of two teenage girls are blaming the Netflix series for the suicides of the young women.
Two 15-year-old girls, Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chiu, took their own lives this past April, just four days apart from one another. Both girls lived in the Bay Area, and the only thing they had in common was the fact that they had both recently finished 13 Reasons Why, a show about a teenage girl who commits suicide.
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Many have thought that the series glorifies suicide, and the families of these girls believe that notion as well.
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Bella Herndon’s parents told KTVU that she had battled depression in the past, but that she was much happier in recent months. She even had new friends that were coming over to the house frequently.
Priscilla Chiu lived with her uncle, and she had a similar story to Bella. Uncle Peter Chiu stated that he had missed the signs, wishing he had done things a little differently.
Both families spoke out against 13 Reasons Why, with Chiu explaining that the show was “very graphic” in its depiction of main character Hannah’s suicide.
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Bella Herndon’s father John also expressed his hatred for the show, stating: There are no words that describe my contempt for the people who did this. You can’t convince me that they were trying to attract attention to the issue of teen suicide by showing a little girl killing herself. There’s nothing positive about that.”
In a statement to KTVU, Netflix responded to the tragedy. “Our hearts go out to these families during this difficult time. We have heard from many viewers that 13 Reasons Why has opened up a dialogue among parents, teens, schools and mental health advocates around the difficult topics depicted in the show.”
