Topline
Constance Wu revealed Thursday she attempted suicide three years ago, after tweeting her disappointment at the renewal of her sitcom Fresh Off The Boat, saying she is finally ready to return to social media after the ordeal “to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff.”
Constance Wu attends "The Terminal List" Los Angeles premiere at the DGA Theater Complex on June 22, ... [+]
Key Facts
In her Thursday statement, Wu tweeted that after her “careless” tweets about Fresh Off The Boat she was met with “severe” backlash, which included a message from a fellow actress calling her “a blight on the Asian American community.”
Wu said that thinking she was “a disgrace” to Asian Americans she felt as though “they’d be better off without me.”
A friend discovered Wu and rushed her to a hospital, she wrote.
Wu said mental health is not often discussed in the Asian American community, and that because her tweets became such a sore subject many of her Asian American colleagues chose to “avoid or ice me out” during a time she needed support.
After the ordeal, the Crazy Rich Asians star said she stepped away from her career to “focus on my mental health,” during which she underwent therapy and wrote her upcoming book, Making A Scene.
Crucial Quote
“Looking back, it’s surreal a few DMs convinced me to end my own life, but that’s what happened,” Wu wrote.
Key Background
In 2019, Wu tweeted her disappointment that her show Fresh Off The Boat, which focused on an Asian American family, was given a sixth season, writing, “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck.” She later clarified that she “was temporarily upset” because the renewal meant she “had to give up another project that I was really passionate about,” and her frustration had nothing to do with her show. Still, her comments went viral, with many feeling that Wu wasn’t thankful enough for her career, or saying that she was wishing for people to lose their jobs. Wu told the Los Angeles Times “I am grateful for my entire career, but the fact that my career has been historic shouldn’t necessarily be a call [to say to] me, ‘You should be so lucky’—it should be a call to pay attention to the fact that this kind of thing shouldn’t have been historic.” Wu said the role she would have played would have been “not Asian-specific.” Wu’s tweets were later deleted. The show ended after that season in 2019. That year, Wu also starred in the movie Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez. Crazy Rich Asians, starring Wu and Henry Golding, was released in 2018, and a sequel has long been expected. This year Wu returned to screens, starring in the series The Terminal alongside Chris Pratt.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, visit 988Lifeline.org.
Further Reading
Constance Wu Should Have Been A Movie Star (Forbes)
National Suicide Hotline Launches This Weekend—Those In Need Can Dial 988 (Forbes)