Did internet celebrity and influencer Ryuchell die in 2017? No, that's not true: The original post created in 2017 on the open question-and-answer website Chiebukuro is a baseless post that was most likely fabricated as a form of hate speech against the celebrity.
The claim originally appeared on TikTok (archived here) on July 13, 2023. The video depicts a screenshot from a post on Chiebukuro created on January 30, 2017, which asks why Ryuchell committed suicide. The overlay of the video translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff says "Too scary," and asks how someone on the internet was able to predict Ryuchell's passing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Jul 24, 16:50:02 2023 UTC)
The caption under the question responds with:
They're dead. The person [Ryuchell] seen on live TV yesterday was a ghost.
The assertion lacks accuracy, as Ryuchell was visibly alive and engaged on their social media platform, and even made numerous appearances on variety shows during that period. Additionally, Ryuchell announced their marriage with the internet influencer and model peco, promoting their wedding in conjunction with Sheraton Hotel's 80th anniversary. Considering Ryuchell's history of enduring online hate, death threats, and harassment throughout their career, the post made on Chiebukuro is highly likely to contribute to this harmful pattern.
Ryuchell was a Japanese celebrity and television personality who rose to fame through Instagram, amassing a large following both within Japan and beyond for openly advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and popularizing genderless-kei, a fashion movement that entrenched itself in Harajuku culture as one that thrives to make clothes and styles as androgynous as possible. Ryuchell was found dead in their talent agency's building on July 12, 2023, with the Tokyo Police Department suspecting the cause of their death to be suicide. Many celebrities have spoken out about cyberbullying and online harassment in response to Ryuchell's death, sparking an open discussion on how to mitigate and strengthen regulations on hate speech.
