A man in his 20s from the western Japan prefecture of Osaka is likely to be referred to prosecutors soon for posting hateful messages against Hana Kimura, a cast member on the popular reality TV show “Terrace House” who was found dead in a suspected suicide earlier this year, investigative sources said Wednesday.
Hana Kimura looks on during the press conference Bushiroad and Stardom on October 17, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.(Getty/Kyodo)
The man is suspected by Tokyo police of having cyberbullied Kimura on Twitter by repeatedly leaving anonymous comments such as “Is there any value to your life?” and “Hey, when are you going to die?” on her posts around mid-May, according to the sources.
Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler who was among the six members of the now-canceled series “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020,” was found dead at her apartment in Tokyo in May in a suspected suicide after becoming a target of hateful messages on social media.
A scene in a late March episode from the series, in which Kimura lost her temper at a male cast member who accidentally shrank one of her wrestling costumes while doing laundry, had triggered cyberbullying against her.
On the day of her death, the Yokohama native had tweeted, “I receive nearly 100 honest opinions every day and I cannot deny that it hurts my feelings.”
Her case highlighted the issue of cyberbullying and prompted calls for more action to prevent and track down anonymous users posting defamatory comments.
“Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” was the latest in a series that began in 2012. The show, which was broadcast by Fuji Television and also aired on U.S. streaming service Netflix with English subtitles, featured three women and three men sharing a house in Tokyo.
The cast members are “looking for love while living under the same roof,” and there is “no script” in the show, according to Netflix.
Related coverage:
Mother of “Terrace House” star to press charges against cyberbullies
Fuji TV says cyberbullying of “Terrace House” star was unforeseen
Mom of “Terrace House” star files rights complaint over death
