Six months after her father took his own life after she went missing, Hannah Kobayashi has broken her silence in regards to her loss. In somewhat vague messages shared on social media, Kobayashi also appears to be willing to tell “the whole story.”
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According to The Latin Times, on November 8, 2024, security footage at Los Angeles International Airport showed Kobayashi exiting the airport. She was supposed to board a plane to New York to visit family. Surveillance footage then showed her at several spots in Los Angeles before disappearing for a month.
All the while, her father, Ryan Kobayashi, frantically looked for her after traveling to Los Angeles. Two weeks into the search, however, Ryan’s body was found at a local parking lot near LAX on November 24, 2024. His death was ruled a suicide after he jumped off a parking garage. He previously stated that her daughter’s disappearance was “every parent’s nightmare.”
As per SFGATE, Hannah Kobayashi was found in Mexico on December 11. She had willingly traveled to the country and was unaware of the media coverage surrounding her disappearance. Four days later, she returned to the United States.
Kobayashi Breaks Her Silence
Six months later, Hannah finally broke her silence by talking about her “loss and pain and suffering” in a now-unavailable Instagram story. First, she thanked “every single person who dedicated time and energy into looking for me.”
“Every day is such a gift, especially after such loss and pain and suffering,” Kobayashi added. She appears to hint at her father’s suicide. “We should all learn to be kind to one another,” she added.
On Monday, May 19, days after posting the story, Kobayashi talked with SFGATE. She told the outlet that she will reveal more details about what transpired back in 2024.
“Given my particular situation on the other side of my experience, I understand how some people would choose to cast me in a negative light,” Kobayashi told the outlet. “But I know who I am, I know my truth and one day, I will share it.”
“I do believe that we can all learn to be kinder to one another because we never really know what someone else has been through unless we’ve walked in their shoes.”
Instagram Post
Hannah Kobayashi has not fully explained her disappearance or directly talked about her father’s suicide. Weeks before her Instagram story was uploaded, she posted a picture of redwood trees with poetry as the caption. It was her first post since November 18.
She responded to one comment that asked why she didn’t attend her own father’s funeral.
“You don’t know the whole story,” Kobayashi responded. “My intention in this post is to acknowledge that I am going to speak about my experience — and to stand up against all the hate that was cast upon me.”
“I hope that in your darkest hours, you are shown compassion and love versus hate and judgment.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are in the middle of a mental health crisis, be sure to call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.