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[HanCinema's News] Suspicions Remain Regarding Death of Sulli

Content warning: The following text handles topics of depression, cyberbullying and suicide.

While the police have ruled out foul play and the death of Sulli has been reported as a suicide, many ambiguous factors remain about the performer's death. A major reason why her death came as such a shock was because Sulli had not been behaving unusually in the days before her death and in fact had a fairly busy work schedule.

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A common theory regarding why she would want to kill herself was from hateful online comments. However, Sulli was an open feminist and appeared to relish standing her ground against antagonistic anti-fans. Sulli pushed this aspect of her personal brand even when it seemed risky to do so in light of her working commitments. This is a far cry compared to other celebrities who simply respond with legal threats via their agencies when faced with malicious rumors.

The main evidence that Sulli was suffering mental problems comes, ironically enough, from the very same rumors that are currently being blamed for her death, which Sulli had been very actively fighting against. Such rumors have dogged Sulli ever since she left the group f(x) in 2014, but the young woman had shown considerably more resistance against them in recent years, to the point of openly confessing her issues on television.

The absence of a suicide note further complicates diagnosing what was going on with Sulli before she died. Though she had had a long history in the South Korean entertainment industry as a child actress, it remains difficult to say what influences from where were truly responsible for her death.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, please check this international list of suicide prevention crisis centers for your local branch. If your country is not on the list, please call your local emergency services.

Written by William Schwartz

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