Constance Wu has shared that she attempted suicide following backlash over controversial tweets.
The actress opened up about her experience in an extensive message shared via Twitter on Thursday, nearly three years after she stepped away from the platform. Wu, 40, has kept a relatively low profile since she faced a wave of criticism for her comments on Fresh Off the Boat, the ABC sitcom in which she starred from 2015-2020.
Wu said early in the note that she “was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it,” before continuing: “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.”
The controversy began in May 2019, after ABC announced it had renewed Fresh Off the Boat for a sixth season. The Crazy Rich Asians star reacted to the news by tweeting: “Fucking hell. So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck.”
Fans quickly criticized Wu for appearing ungrateful and selfish, with many pointing out that a cancelation would leave some cast and crew members without a job. The actress attempted to clarify her comments just hours later.
“Todays tweets were on the heels of rough day & were ill timed w/the news of the show,” she tweeted. “Plz know, Im so grateful for FOTB renewal. I love the cast&crew. Im proud to be a part of it. For all the fans support, thank u & for all who support my casual use of the word fuck-thank u too.”
But the damage control failed to curb the backlash.
“Looking back, it’s surreal that a few DMs convinced me to end my own life, but that’s what happened,” she continued. “Luckily, a friend found me and rushed me to the ER.”
Wu said the “scary moment” led her to reevaluate her life, and ultimately put her acting on pause to focus on her mental health as well as to write a book called Making a Scene.
“While we’re quick to celebrate representation wins, there’s a lot of avoidance around the more uncomfortable issues within our [Asian-American] community,” she wrote. “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 [...] 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.”
You can read Wu’s full statement below.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, the suicide prevention hotline is reachable at 1-800-273-TALK, and the Suicide Prevention Lifeline site is here.
