Stardom Wrestling confirmed on Friday that Hana Kimura had died at the age of 22. The cause of death is not public, but many are concerned that it was suicide. Officials have not confirmed this, but WWE‘s Paige referenced online bullies while paying tribute to the late wrestler.
“This breaks my heart. The Internet can be a cruel, disgusting place. RIP to this beautiful young woman,” the WWE star tweeted. She also retweeted Simone Johnson, the daughter of Dwayne Johnson, who wrote that Kimura was “bullied to death.” The new member of WWE also said that anyone who partook in the bullying can not call themself a wrestling fan.
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“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,” Stardom Wrestling said in a statement Friday.
Fans responded to this statement by sending their condolences on social media. Several others commented and said that those who bullied Kimura “need to face prosecution” for their actions although they don’t expect this to happen soon.
Before her death, Kimura posted several messages on social media. Wrestling fans translated the messages and discovered that users were sending “hatred” to the professional wrestler. In a series of alarming tweets, Kimura provided a glimpse into her life and the bullying.
“Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn’t deny that I was hurt,” Kimura wrote. “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.”
Kimura trained at Wrestle-1s Professional Wrestling University before making her in-ring debut in 2016. She spent four years in the organization, securing the JWP Junior Championship and even facing off with her mother, Kyoko Kimura.
She later joined Stardom Wrestling in 2019 and became the leader of the Tokyo Cyber Squad faction. It was during this career with Stardom Wrestling that Kimura appeared on Netflix’s Terrace House: Tokyo. Kimura took part in Parts 2-4 of the reality series and drew attention during several storylines with other cast members.
