Tragedy for Love on the Spectrum Star Pari Kim: Mom Esme Dies After Cancer Battle

This is hard news. Pari Kim, one of the bright spots of Netflix 's Love on the Spectrum, shared that her mom, Esme Kim, has died after a fight with breast cancer. Pari is 24. She posted about it on Instagram on Wednesday, May 13, and the message was raw, emotional, and very her.What Pari saidIn a long post, Pari tried to make sense of grief by splitting it into two versions of herself: the part that misses what was taken too soon, and the part that keeps pushing forward because stopping isn’t an option. She leaned into the train imagery fans know her for, comparing the loss of her mom to her 'guardian locomotive' reaching the end of the line and having to keep moving anyway. If that sounds cutesy on paper, it lands differently if you watched the show — it’s how she processes things. 'F*** cancer button' That was one blunt comment she added under the post, asking people to hit like if they felt the same.The Love on the Spectrum family shows upFans poured into the comments with condolences, and her castmates did too. Madison Marilla told Pari how sorry she was and reminded her that the LOTS crew is in her corner. Abbey Romeo chimed in that she wished she could give Pari and her sister, Teal, a big hug. Simple, supportive, and exactly what you want to see when someone’s world falls apart.Who Esme was to viewersPari, Esme, and Pari’s sister Teal joined Love on the Spectrum in season 3 in 2025. On the show, Pari made it clear how close she was with her mom — it was one of the emotional anchors of her episodes. Pari has been through a lot already: her dad died by suicide in 2020. On her Instagram Story this week, she urged people who still have loving, present parents to be grateful, saying time is precious and she never expected to lose both parents so young.Context around Pari’s recent breakupEsme’s passing comes a few weeks after Pari confirmed she and Tina Zhu Xi Caruso — who she met on the show — are no longer together. On April 24, she told followers they’d decided to stay friends, keeping with her trademark rail-themed wordplay to say they’re on different tracks. She followed that up by asking everyone to keep things kind, stressing that she spoke from the heart and handled it with as much grace as she could. She also wished Tina well, which tracks with how she’s carried herself publicly.Quick timeline2020: Pari’s father dies by suicide. 2025: Pari, her mom Esme, and sister Teal appear in Love on the Spectrum season 3 on Netflix. April 24, 2026: Pari says she and Tina Zhu Xi Caruso have split but remain friends; asks fans and media for kindness. May 13, 2026 (Wednesday): Pari announces on Instagram that her mom, Esme Kim, has died after breast cancer; fans and castmates offer condolences. No tidy bow on this one. Cancer is cruel. Pari’s message — keep moving, even when the engine you relied on is gone — is heartbreaking and brave, all at once.

Tragedy for Love on the Spectrum Star Pari Kim: Mom Esme Dies After Cancer Battle

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