(KTLA) – Hannah Kobayashi, whose disappearance from Los Angeles in November of last year led to a statewide search and international headlines, recently took to social media to speak out about her “loss, pain and suffering.”
Her remarks, posted in a video on her Instagram Stories over the weekend, come nearly six months after her father Ryan Kobayashi died by suicide during the weekslong search for Hannah, who was eventually found safe during what police called a “voluntary” disappearance into Mexico.
“Hi, everyone. I just want to come on here and take the time to say how grateful I am for everyone. Every single person who dedicated time and energy into looking for me,” Hannah said in the video, which has been cited by media outlets including SFGATE and re-posted by the Daily Mail and third-parties on social media.
“And I just want to say thank you. It means the world to me. And I just want to express that, in person, to you.”
Last week, she had also replied to an Instagram user who questioned why she wasn’t at her father’s funeral, claiming that this user didn’t know “the whole story.” She added that she plans to “speak about my experience.”
In November 2024, the then-30-year-old Hawaii resident was seen in surveillance images at various locations across L.A. before disappearing. Family members and loved ones traveled to the city to aid in the search, with some concerned she may have been abducted and held against her will.
Ryan Kobayashi was among the family members to fly from Hawaii to Los Angeles to search for his missing daughter. His body was later found near LAX.
When she finally returned to the U.S., Hannah said she was unaware of the media firestorm her disappearance caused. She had also remained off social media until this weekend’s post.
“Every day is such a gift. Especially, after such loss and pain and suffering,” she said in her Instagram Stories video. “We should all learn to be kind to one another.”
She didn’t address her father’s death directly, but SFGATE reported that Hannah spoke with the outlet and plans to share more details soon.
“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,” Kobayashi told SFGATE over Instagram.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, please seek immediate professional help by calling the nationwide mental health crisis hotline by dialing 9-8-8 on your phone.