The popular Japanese reality TV series Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 (or Tokyo Terrace House) has been cancelled following the death of cast member Hana Kimura.
Fuji TV, the Japanese television network, announced the cancellation of the beloved show on Tuesday in a statement on its official website.
A translation of the statement reads: “We would like to express our regrets for the death of Hana Kimura and offer our sincere condolences to her family. Regarding Terrace House Tokyo, we have decided to cancel the production. We take this issue very seriously and will take active steps to formulate a response.”
Kimura, a Japanese professional wrestler and TV star, was found dead in her home on May 23, according to The Associated Press.
The 22-year-old became the target of mass cyber-bullying as a result of her appearance and profession, as well as because of an altercation with a fellow cast member on Terrace House Tokyo.
In her final Instagram post, Kimura shared an image that depicted her with a cat. It was captioned “Goodbye,” according to Deadline. Her account has since been deleted.
Get daily National news
Additionally, she took to Twitter on May 22 — the day before her body was found — writing: “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.”
Though Kimura’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed by authorities, multiple Japanese outlets have reported that she died by suicide, according to Variety.
After being picked up and licensed by Netflix, the popularity of Terrace House Tokyo lifted off internationally.
The series documents the lives of three men and three women who temporarily share a house together in Japan’s capital city.
Before its cancellation, however, the series was put on a temporary hiatus as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Terrace House Tokyo remains available for viewers to watch on Netflix Canada.
“We have no current plans to take down the latest season of this incredibly loved show,” a Netflix spokesperson told Global News in a statement on Thursday.
— With files from the Associated Press
Comments