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The death of Hana Kimura, who had just taken part in the Japanese reality show Terrace House, is another tragic reminder that action is urgently needed
For several years, the suicide of contestants who compete on reality TV shows has cast a dark shadow on the genre. Competitors on The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Voice and Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares have all taken their own lives. And just days ago, the suicide of Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old former cast member on the Netflix Japanese reality TV series Terrace House, shocked fans.
Kimura had suffered a huge amount of harassment and abuse online. Inevitably, focus will shift on to how much support the contestants on these shows are offered by producers to deal with the negative attention that follows their appearances. Many hope her passing will serve as a painful eye-opener, a teachable moment, even though this is a lesson we should have learned many times over. This is something that has happened before and, if little changes, is likely to happen again. Continue reading...