Constance Wu reveals chilling details of her sexual harassment by ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ producer
In her upcoming memoir, Constance Wu disclosed that a senior member of the production staff of the now-defunct ABC comedy 'Fresh Off the Boat', sexually harassed her. The 40-year-old actress in her book, ‘Making a Scene', simply uses the staff member's initials, according to the New York Times. Wu further narrates that the guy displayed domineering traits during the first season of the show in 2015 which included "demanding that she run all her business matters past him and telling her what to wear."
“Fresh Off the Boat was my first-ever TV show,” Wu told the New York Times. “I was thrown into this world. I don’t have parents in the industry. And because I was 30, people thought I knew what I was doing. It made me paranoid and embarrassed.” The actress, who played matriarch Jessica Huang in the show, claims that things became physical when she and the producer went to a sporting event together. The guy "placed his hand on her thigh, his hand ultimately grazing her crotch.” Wu asserts that when she allegedly requested him to stop, they both covered up the alleged occurrence.
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'Fresh of the Boat' star Constance Wu REVEALS why she attempted suicide in 2019
💜 Have you pre-ordered your copy of #makingascene yet? Link in bio! 💜 @mindykaling 💜 @simonschuster 💜 @ScribnerBooks 💜 pic.twitter.com/wOQP8d0ca4
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) August 26, 2022
In a panel discussion at the Atlantic Festival in Washington, DC, she explained why she decided to come out with her account of the alleged assault. “I kept my mouth shut for a really long time about a lot of sexual harassment and intimidation that I received the first two seasons of the show. Because, after the first two seasons, once it was a success, once I was no longer scared of losing my job, that’s when I was able to start saying ‘no’ to the harassment, ‘no’ to the intimidation, from this particular producer,” she said, as reported by Variety. “And, so I thought, ‘You know what? I handled it, nobody has to know, I don’t have to stain this Asian American producer’s reputation, I don’t have to stain the reputation of the show.’”
During her protracted absence from the public spotlight, Wu worked on her autobiography. She took a three-year hiatus from social media after receiving criticism for tweeting that she was "so upset" and "literally crying" about the 2019 renewal of 'Fresh Off the Boat'.
Before a friend intervened to save her life, she even attempted suicide. Wu further stated that "not always the most flattering portrayal" of herself may be found in her upcoming memoir. However, she emphasized that it is "as honest as I know how to be."