Constance Wu: I Had to Take a ‘Break’ from Hollywood After Fellow Asian Actress Told Me I Was a ‘Disgrace’
"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," Wu wrote.
Constance Wu returned to social media for the first time in three years to open up about her break from acting.
Ahead of the release of her memoir “Making a Scene,” the “Crazy Rich Asians” actress addressed the backlash she received after tweeting about the renewal of “Fresh Off the Boat.” Wu wrote (via The Hollywood Reporter), “Fucking hell” and “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck.” after the ABC sitcom was renewed in 2019 for a sixth season.
Wu later clarified, “Todays tweets were on the heels of rough day&were ill timed w/the news of the show. 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.”
Since then, Wu left social media behind. Now, the “Hustlers” actress has tweeted again to address her absence.
“I was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it: Three years ago, when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, it ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe,” Wu penned. “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.”
Wu added that a friend found her and rushed her to the ER after a suicide attempt.
“AsAms don’t talk about mental health enough,” Wu shared. “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 summed up, “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).”
Wu followed the post with the information for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Wu currently stars in “The Terminal List” and upcoming film “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile.” She also leads “East Bay,” writer-director Daniel Yoon’s portrait of the son of Asian immigrants living in the Bay Area and undergoing a coming-of-age crisis.
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) July 14, 2022