Japanese wrestler and TV star Hana Kimura has died at the age of 22.
Kimura had emerged as a huge star in her homeland, both in the squared circle and the silver screen, having starred in the Netflix production, Terrace House.
The tragic news of her passing was confirmed in a brief statement, released by her wrestling company, Stardom.
“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.”
Back in January, Kimura made history when she teamed with Giulia against Mayu Iwatani and Arisa Hoshiki in the first ever women’s match at one of New Japan Pro's annual Wrestle Kingdom event.
In 2019, she was a winner of Stardom's Fighting Spirit Award, while her mother was also a well-known wrestler, Kyoko Kimura.
As yet, the cause of death remains unknown.
However, she recently issued a series of troubling social media posts implying she had been the victim of cyber-bullying.
The most recent update on her Instagram story on Friday featured a photo of her with her cat, with a caption that read "goodbye".
In the past 12 months Kimura had also broken out as one of the cast members of Japanese reality TV show Terrace House, before it was suspended due to coronavirus.
"It absolutely breaks my heart how cruel people can be on social media," said Impact World Champion Tessa Blanchard.
"It was an amazing honor to know Hana Kimura. She was an amazing girl with the kindest soul and immense passion and work ethic."
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