Constance Wu has revealed she attempted to take her own life after she was hit with backlash over tweets she posted about the renewal of “Fresh Off the Boat” back in 2019.
In a lengthy statement shared on Twitter on Thursday, which marked the actress’ return to social media after nearly three years, Wu announced her upcoming memoir, “Making a Scene,” and opened up about the outrage following her “careless” tweets about “Fresh Off the Boat’s” renewal, specifically how the backlash negatively impacted her mental health.
“Hi everybody. I haven’t been on social media in almost 3 years,” Wu, 40, began. “Tbh, I’m a little scared, but I’m dipping my toe back in to say that I’m here and while I was gone I wrote a book called ‘Making a Scene.'”
She continued, “This next part is hard to talk about … but I was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it: 3 years ago, when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, it ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe. I felt awful about what I’d said, and when a few DMs from a fellow Asian actress told me I’d become a blight on the Asian American community, I started feeling like I didn’t even deserve to live anymore. That I was a disgrace to AsAms, and they’d be better off without me. Looking back, it’s surreal that a few DMs convinced me to end my own life, but that’s what happened. Luckily, a friend found me and rushed me to the ER.”
The “Crazy Rich Asians” star went on to describe her suicide attempt as “a scary moment that made me reassess a lot in my life,” before she highlighted the importance of mental health awareness, specifically in the Asian American community.
“For the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my mental health,” Wu wrote. “AsAms don’t talk about mental health enough. While we’re quick to celebrate representation wins, there’s a lot of avoidance around the more uncomfortable issues within our community.”
“Even my tweets became a subject so touchy that most of my AsAm colleagues decided that was the time to avoid me or ice me out,” she added. “I’ll admit it hurt a lot, but it also made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.”
The “Hustlers” actress said that this realization was the reason “why I wrote my book and why I’m here today — to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff in order to understand it, reckon with it, and open pathways to healing. If we want to be seen, really seen … we need to let all of ourselves be seen, including the parts we’re scared or ashamed of — parts that, however, imperfect require care and attention. And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do.”
Wu noted that although her memoir, which is a collection of essays, “is not always the most flattering portrayal, it’s as honest as I know how to be,” adding, “Because the truth is, I’m not poised or graceful or perfect. I make mistakes … lots of ’em!”
“The Terminal List” star then ended her statement by sharing why she’s now open to being on social media despite her fears.
“After a little break from Hollywood and a lot of therapy I feel OK enough to venture back on here (at least for a little bit). And even though I’m scared, I’ve decided that I owe it to the me-of-3-years-ago to be brave and share my story so that it might help someone with theirs,” concluded Wu, who also shared a follow-up tweet featuring the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Wu also posted a screenshot of her statement on her Instagram Story. She currently has zero posts on her profile. On her Twitter account, meanwhile, the “Solos” actress has appeared to have deleted all of her past tweets, aside from Thursday’s post. Her bio for both social media accounts now features a link to her book, “Making a Scene,” which will be released this fall.
In May 2019, Wu came under fire after she expressed disappointment that her ABC series “Fresh Off the Boat” had been renewed for a new season. The star shared a series of tweets, including writing that she was “so upset” and she was “literally crying” over the sitcom’s renewal … amongst other remarks.
After Wu deleted some of her comments and initially blamed them on a “rough day,” she later clarified her Twitter rant, admitting that her angry outburst over “Fresh Off the Boat” getting another season was because she was looking forward to challenging herself on another project she was no longer able to do.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
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