'Fresh of the Boat' star Constance Wu REVEALS why she attempted suicide in 2019
Trigger warning: The story talks about suicide which could be traumatic for some readers. Reader discretion is advised
Constance Wu claimed that she attempted suicide after getting severe backlash for her tweets on the renewal of 'Fresh Off the Boat' Season 6. The actress, who is currently starring in Prime Video's 'The Terminal List', returned to social media on Thursday after almost a three-year hiatus.
Constance Wu is opening up about the vitriol she endured following the 2019 renewal of her sitcom 'Fresh Off the Boat', claiming she considered suicide during the reaction.“Hi everybody. I haven’t been on social media in almost 3 years. Tbh, I’m a little scared, but I’m dipping my toe back in to say I’m here and while I was gone I wrote a book called Making a Scene,” the 'Crazy Rich Asians' actress said in a long message released on Twitter on Thursday, July 14. All of her previous posts on her account seemed to have been removed. Wu explained to her followers that her online experience was "hard to talk about", which is why she was afraid to return to the platform.
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“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,” she said.
“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.”
What was the Twitter controversy Wu was embroiled in?
The Virginia native faced criticism in 2019 for airing her annoyance at the renewal of the 2015-launched ABC series 'Fresh Off the Boat'. "So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F–k,” Wu had tweeted at the moment. “F–king hell,” she added in another tweet. Wu responded, "No it's not," after a social media fan complimented her on the professional news and called it "great."
After drawing criticism for her remarks, the actress went on to explain that the renewal of the series prompted her to abandon a separate project she was “really passionate about.” She remarked at the time, “So my dismayed social media replies were more about that other project and not about FOTB. These words are my truth. I hope you hear them.”
After portraying an "easy and pleasant" persona in the comedy for so long, Wu noted at the time that she wanted to go deeper into her profession. The series, which portrayed an Asian-American family's life in Florida in the 1990s, starred Golden Globe nominee Randall Park. After six seasons, 'Fresh Off the Boat' came to an end in 2020.
The trailblazing comedy series 'Fresh Off the Boat' was canceled by ABC in May 2019 after Wu voiced disappointment with its last-minute renewal for the sixth season. The show had attracted the wrong type of attention. The series won accolades for its portrayal of a Taiwanese-American family in 1990s Florida and its humor before Wu, who played mom Jessica Huang in a breakthrough role, embarked on an expletive-filled Twitter rant following the renewal of the show.
The tweets garnered widespread derision, including several attacks by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. At a programming presentation, Kimmel said, "Only on ABC is getting your show picked up the worst thing that can happen to you. Sorry, Constance. At least you got 9,300 (Twitter) likes."
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Wu stated in a long statement to fans that the outrage and her reaction to it offered her a new perspective. "It was a scary moment that made me reassess a lot in my life,” the 'Hustlers' 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 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,” she added.
Although the criticism "hurt a lot," Wu said the experience“made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.” She admitted to “[making] mistakes … lots of ’em!”
She encouraged readers to "reach out and assist individuals talk about the uncomfortable issues," even if it's difficult. “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)," she added. “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,” the actress further said.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).