Constance Wu.
MediaPunch/ShutterstockSharing her story. Constance Wu is opening up about the criticism she faced after renewing her show in 2019 Fresh off the boatrevealing that she considered suicide amid the backlash.
“Hi everyone. I haven’t been on social media for almost 3 years. Tbh, I’m a little scared but I’m dipping my toe in to say I’m here and while I was gone I wrote a book called Creating a scene,” Crazy rich Asians The actress, 40, began with a lengthy statement shared via Twitter on Thursday, July 14. All other posts on her account appear to have been deleted.
Wu told her followers that her online experience was “difficult to talk about,” explaining why she was reluctant to return to the platform. “I was afraid to go back to social media because I almost lost my life on it: 3 years ago, when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, it sparked outrage and shame on the Internet that became very severe,” she continued. . . “I felt terrible about what I had said, and when a few DMs from another Asian actress told me I was going to be a blight on the Asian American community, I started to feel like I didn’t even deserve to live anymore. That I was a disgrace to the AsAms, and they would be better off without me. Looking back, it’s surreal that some DM convinced me to end my life, but here’s what happened. Luckily, a friend found me and rushed me to the ER.
The Virginia native was criticized in 2019 for expressing her frustration when ABC Fresh off the boat, which debuted in 2015, was renewed for another season. “So upset right now I’m literally crying. Ugh. F—-k,” Wu tweeted at the time. “F-hell king.”
When a social media user congratulated her on the career news, calling it “brilliant,” Wu replied, “No it’s not.”
After raising eyebrows with her comments, the actress went on to clarify that her commitment to the series forced her to withdraw from another project she was “really passionate about” due to the renewal. “So my shocked responses on social media were more about that other project and not about FOTB,” she said at the time. “These words are my truth. I hope you hear them.”
Wu explained at the time that she wanted to delve deeper into her craft after playing a “light and sweet” character on sitcoms for so long. The candidate for the Golden Globe also played alongside her Randall Park in the series, which featured the life of an Asian-American family in Florida in the 90s. Fresh off the boat ended in 2020 after six seasons.
In her lengthy note to fans, Wu said the backlash — and her response to it — gave her a new perspective. “It was a scary moment that made me reevaluate a lot in my life Hustlers the star wrote on Thursday. “For the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my mental health. [Asian-Americans] don’t talk enough about mental health. While we are quick to celebrate representation victories, there is too much avoidance around the most uncomfortable issues within our community.”
Although the criticism “hurt a lot”, Wu said the situation “made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a difficult time”.
She owned “[making] mistakes…lots of them!” and encouraged those who read her book to “reach out and help people talk about uncomfortable things,” even if it’s challenging. “After a little break from Hollywood and a lot of therapy, I feel good enough to be back here (at least for a little while),” she concluded. “And even though I’m scared, I’ve decided that I owe it to myself to be brave and share my story so it can help someone else with theirs.”
If you or someone you know is emotionally distressed or thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
