Hana Kimura, a pro wrestler and star of the Netflix reality show Terrace House, died at the age of 22 on Saturday, May 23, Stardom Wrestling has confirmed.
“We are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away,” the wrestling company tweeted on Saturday. “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.”
A statement on the wrestling company’s website added, “Our company player Hana Kimura passed away today on May 23. We apologize for the sudden concern and sorrow for our fans and all concerned. Regarding the details, there are some parts that we have not yet grasped, so we will continue to cooperate with the investigation between the parties concerned.”
A cause of death has not been announced, but fans became concerned about Kimura after the athlete — who appeared on season 5 of the Japanese reality series — shared cryptic messages via Twitter before her death.
“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,” she tweeted in a message that was translated from Japanese to English.
Kimura was the daughter of former pro wrestler Kyoko Kimura and made her own professional wrestling debut in 2016 for Wrestle-1. Later that year, she won her first title at the JWP Junior Championship. The Japan native left Wrestle-1 in 2019 and began wrestling at Stardom as part of the Tokyo Cyber Squad.
Hana joined the cast of Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 in September 2019. The Netflix reality series follows a group of men and women as they live together in a house and face the struggles of everyday life.
Members of the pro wrestling community paid tribute to Hana with emotional messages shared on social media.
“It absolutely breaks my heart how cruel people can be on social media. It was an amazing honor to know Hana Kimura. She was an amazing girl with the kindest soul and immense passion and work ethic. I’m at a loss of words over this tragedy. Rest In Peace my friend,” Tessa Blanchard wrote.
Natalya Neidhart tweeted her condolences to Hana’s family writing, “I just heard this news and I’m truly saddened by it. Heartbreaking. Prayers for #HanaKimura and her family.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
