Constance Wu revealed she attempted suicide in response to criticism from comments in 2019. Boo, sucks.
Back then, Fresh Off the Boat got renewed which in Wu’s mind, prevented her from working on a “passion project.” The series earned a sixth and final season. Typically, Hollywood actors thank the acting gods if they make it out of a pilot. How many pilots does the average actor make before getting into a series that lasts six years?
It wasn’t what Wu wanted though. At the time, she said “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F**k.” Then tweeted another “Fucking hell.” I’m sure all the other out of work Hollywood actors supported her reaction.
She received backlash and explained that “I was temporarily upset yesterday not because I hate the show but its renewal meant I had to give up another project that I was really passionate about.”
Wu went missing off Twitter for three years. She returned to Twitter with a long statement saying all that hate made her want to kill herself.
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. 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.
It was a scary moment that made me reassess a lot in my life. For the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my mental health. AsAms 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. 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. I’ll admit it hurt a lot, but it also made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.
She added to her statement at the end:
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.
And oh yea, her story is in her new book Making a Scene. Imagine that. She comes back to promote her book by revealing a past suicide attempt. This is how you rollout a new project and trend.
Wu is rumored to be a diva and hard to work with. Yashar Ali, a contributor to New York magazine, at the time tweeted and then deleted:
Constance Wu’s conduct today comes as no surprise to anyone who has worked with her in recent years. She has a reputation for being rude, petty, mean-spirited, and ungrateful
Gemma Chan liked the tweet, and then claimed she “accidentally” liked it. Yea right, accidental. Chan and Wu costarred in the 2018 hit Crazy Rich Asians.
Go on Twitter and people will say how brave she is for revealing her suicide attempt. That’s true. Hopefully her story helps out others who are suicidal.
On the other hand, people are saying she’s a diva and rude. Those people who say how brave she is will be the same ones to chastise her.