Hannah Kobayashi has opened up about dealing with “loss and pain and suffering” in an Instagram Stories clip, six months after her father, Ryan, died by suicide on Nov. 24, 2024
Hannah, from Hawaii, made headlines around the country toward the end of last year — she went missing after failing to catch a connecting flight to New York City from Los Angeles
Her dad, Ryan, traveled to L.A. amid the weeks-long search for his daughter. He was found dead in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), two weeks after she went missing
Hannah Kobayashi is speaking out about dealing with loss almost six months after her father, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide.
Hannah, 30, from Hawaii, made headlines around the country when she left Maui on Nov. 8, 2024, before going missing after failing to catch a connecting flight to New York City from Los Angeles.
Her family eventually revealed on Dec. 11 that Hannah had been “found safe,” following what police eventually called a “voluntary” disappearance into Mexico during her travels. She returned to the U.S. four days later.
Amid the weeks-long search for his missing daughter, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, who had traveled to L.A. to look for her, was found dead in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 24, two weeks after Hannah went missing.
His cause of death was multiple blunt force traumatic injuries, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s report previously reviewed by PEOPLE, and the manner of death was listed as suicide.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File
Ryan Kobayashi, center, holds a picture of his daughter Hannah Kobayashi amid the search for her on Nov. 21, 2024
Hannah has since returned to Instagram and spoke about “loss and pain and suffering” in an Instagram Stories post over the weekend, which has since disappeared, per SFGate and a video shared by the Daily Mail.
In the clip, she thanked “every single person who dedicated time and energy into looking for me” amid the search, adding, “Every day is such a gift, especially after such loss and pain and suffering. We should all learn to be kind to one another,” without directly referencing her father.
Hannah told SFGate on Monday, May 19, that she would eventually share more details regarding her disappearance.
“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, but I know who I am, I know my truth and one day, I will share it,” she said over Instagram, per the outlet.
“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,” Hannah added, the publication stated.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty
A missing person poster is pictured in Downtown Los Angeles amid the search for Hannah Kobayashi
On May 4, Hannah returned to the social media site by sharing a black and white photo of trees, alongside the caption, “For all that i have yet to say, the love in my heart remains the same, for every being that exists and those to come…”
“To go deep within and bear witness to your unwaivering resilience is a true remembrance. more powerful than you could ever imagine. rise up against tyranny, rise up against hate,” she wrote. “Overcome fear~and nothing will ever stop you from becoming that in which you are destined.”
In the comments section, Hannah responded to a discussion about why she didn’t go to her father’s funeral.
She insisted, “You don’t know the whole story. 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.”
Following her return to the U.S. in December, Hannah spoke to PEOPLE in a statement provided by her aunt, Larie Pidgeon which read: “My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity. I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
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Hannah insisted at the time that she wasn’t aware of the media coverage surrounding her disappearance.
“I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all. I kindly ask for respect for myself, my family, and my loved ones as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding,” the statement concluded.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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