The mother of Hana Kimura was delighted to recently meet with Mercedes Mone, who has been a vocal supporter of the late wrestler.
On Twitter, Hana’s mother Kyoko, a wrestler in her own right, shared some photos with the former WWE Superstar. Kyoko Kimura said her heart was “peaceful” when she met with Mone and that the pair spent time in one of Hana’s favorite locations. Kyoko Kimura also thanked Mone for a wonderful evening.
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????????@MercedesVarnado #???#???? pic.twitter.com/7B7YElL7ZX— ???????? (@kimurarock) March 2, 2024
Mercedes Mone & Hana Kimura
After Kimura’s death in 2022, Mone, who worked as Sasha Banks at the time, wore a black armband during an episode of SmackDown with Hana’s name on it. Years later, Mone wore a Hana Kimura-themed attire for NJPW Battle in the Valley 2023, complete with Hana’s signature gasmask. The show saw Mone defeat KAIRI to become the second-ever IWGP Women’s Champion.
Hana Kimura
Hana Kimura took her own life in May 2020 following abuse online stemming from her appearance on the Japanese reality show Terrace House: Tokyo. Earlier in the day of her death, Kimura had shared some of the hateful messages, including racist abuse, she had received stemming from her appearance on the show.
In December 2020, Hana’s death was officially ruled as a suicide. That same month, a man was arrested and admitted to sending harmful messages but said he couldn’t forgive Hana for her actions on the program. In 2021, the man was issued a ¥9000 ($80 USD) fine, prompting outrage that the punishment was too lenient.
In June 2022, Japan’s parliament passed a law in which “online insults” were punishable by one year imprisonment in response to Kimura’s online bullying. Offenders convicted can also face a fine of up to ¥300,000 ($2,200 USD.)