In an explosive interview with bunshun.jp, Hana Kimura’s mother Kyoko blamed the producers of Terrace House for forcing her daughter to play the heel on the show which resulted in a staged scene where Hana had an altercation with a co-star, slapping his cap off his head. The altercation was the source of many bullying and death threats that came via social media messages from angry fans of the popular Japanese show.

The incident took place when a co-star washed Hana’s wrestling costume and put it in a dryer, completely ruining it. The incident was staged as producers told Hana to get angry and slap her co-star Kai Kobayashi in the face. Kimura refused to slap him and instead knocked his hat off his head. Kobayashi also confirmed the story, which is backed up by several LINE messages that were left in Hana’s phone. Hana often complained with her friends on the messaging service that producers were forcing her to do stuff that she did not want and felt uncomfortable doing them as a professional wrestler.

When the editorial team at bunshun.jp reached out to Fuji TV for comments regarding the allegation that the incident was staged and staff pressured Hana to act as the villain, a Fuji TV rep said that the matter is under investigation.

Fuji TV re-aired the episode of Terrace House involving the incident five days before Kimura took her own life on May 23. Her death rocked the world of Japanese professional wrestling and politicians in the country worked to expand its cyber bullying laws in parliament as a direct result of her death.