Hana Kimura: Terrace House star killed herself after producers ‘stoked’ conflict, mother says

The 22-year-old committed suicide in May after a confrontation on reality TV show led to a deluge of bullying and abuse online

‘I guess saying no was difficult for Hana,’ Kyoko Kimura said. ‘They seemed to prioritise ratings over Hana’s mental state’

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Hana Kimura, a female professional wrestler who was among the cast of Terrace House. Photo: Twitter

Published: 2:01pm, 7 Jul 2020Updated: 11:27pm, 7 Jul 2020

The mother of Hana Kimura, the star of Japanese reality TV show Terrace House who killed herself in May after becoming the target of online bullies, has accused producers of encouraging friction and confrontation between cast members to propel ratings.

Kyoko Kimura, 43, told the Asahi newspaper she wanted “people to know the truth” and to restore her daughter’s honour. She also said she may file a compensation suit against Fuji Television Network, which produced the popular Netflix programme.

Terrace House featured three men and three women sharing a house in Tokyo. The show claimed the cast were “looking for love while living under the same roof” and events were completely unscripted.

In an episode screened on March 31, one of the three men in the house damaged an item of Hana Kimura’s clothing. After a confrontation, she knocked his hat from his head.

There was an immediate backlash on social media sites, with some posters criticising her and demanding she leave the programme. More than one message urged her to kill herself. Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler, was found dead at her home several weeks later. Terrace House was cancelled following Kimura’s death.

According to her mother, Kimura told her eight days before her death that producers had coaxed her into confronting the male housemate, initially asking her to slap him.

“I guess saying no was difficult for Hana,” her mother said. “They seemed to prioritise ratings over Hana’s mental state.”

In a separate interview with the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine, she claimed production staff had insisted Hana make scenes “more exciting”, saying the confrontation with the male housemate had been “stoked” by the staff.