Japanese television star found dead at agent's office
Ryuchell, a Japanese TV personality, was found dead in her agent's office in Tokyo.
Ryuchell, 27, died of unconfirmed causes, with some reports claiming the young star passed away due to suicide.
Japanese TV personality Ryuchell found dead at agent's office https://t.co/sj9CSdUOww
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 12, 2023
A controversial background
"Ryuchell married a fellow model, Peco in 2016 and the pair had a son," the BBC reported.
"In August 2022, the couple divorced after Ryuchell announced they no longer identified as male, attracting much criticism online," it added. "In the post shared to Instagram, Ryuchell said they would still live with Peco and their son."
Japanese TV personality and LGBT influencer Ryuchell found dead at agent's office aged 27https://t.co/2Mi77z12Gh
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 13, 2023
Tragic timing
"Peco shared a photo of their son's fifth birthday cake on Instagram shortly before Ryuchell was found dead," Sky News reported.
"Ryuchell was a vocal LGBT advocate in Japan, but as their popularity grew they were targeted on social media for their gender non-conformity," it continued.
Ryuchell death: Japanese TV personality found dead at agent’s office in Tokyohttps://t.co/mJkiJ61Tfc
— jose Chauque (@chauqu76881) July 13, 2023
Fans react
Many fans have paid tribute to Ryuchell on social media following news of her death, according to the Independent.
“This is genuinely heartbreaking. Rest in peace, Ryuchell,” one person wrote.
One person wrote: “Rest well beautiful Ryuchell. Your vibrant, joyful fashion style was so impactful and influenced gender-neutral fashion forever. Your LGBT+ advocacy was brave and beautiful. Receiving mass hate on the internet is something no human is built for. Fly high angel.”
The reported suicide follows a similar end to Hong Kong-born singer Coco Lee. The "Mulan" singer passed away earlier this month on July 5 at the age of 48 following her injuries from a suicide attempt on July 2.
“CoCo is also known to have worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese,” her sisters said in a post on Instagram following the singer's death. “We are proud of her!”
Ryuchell's death leaves much sadness for the personality's fans in Japan and worldwide.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
