Constance Wu. MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Sharing her story. Constance Wu is opening up concerning the criticism she confronted after the 2019 renewal of her present Contemporary Off the Boat, revealing she contemplated suicide amid the backlash.
“Hello everyone. I haven’t been on social media in nearly 3 years. Tbh, I’m somewhat scared, however I’m dipping my toe again in to say I’m right here and whereas I used to be gone I wrote a ebook known as Making a Scene,” the Loopy Wealthy Asians actress, 40, started in a prolonged assertion shared via Twitter on Thursday, July 14. All different posts on her account gave the impression to be deleted.
Wu advised her followers that her expertise on-line was “arduous to speak about,” explaining why she was so hesitant to return to the platform. “I used to be afraid of coming again on social media as a result of I nearly misplaced my life from it: 3 years in the past, after I made careless tweets concerning the renewal of my TV present, it ignited outrage and web shaming that acquired fairly extreme,” she continued. “I felt terrible about what I’d mentioned, and when just a few DMs from a fellow Asian actress advised me I’d change into a blight on the Asian American group, I began feeling like I didn’t even should stay anymore. That I used to be a shame to AsAms, they usually’d be higher off with out me. Wanting again, it’s surreal that just a few DMs satisfied me to finish my very own life, however that’s what occurred. Fortunately, a good friend discovered me and rushed me to the ER.”
The Virginia native got here below hearth in 2019 for expressing her frustration when ABC’s Contemporary Off the Boat, which debuted in 2015, was renewed for an additional season. “So upset proper now that I’m actually crying. Ugh. F—-k,” Wu tweeted on the time. “F–king hell.”
When one social media person congratulated her on the profession information, calling it “nice,” Wu replied, “No it’s not.”
After elevating eyebrows along with her feedback, the actress went on to make clear that her dedication to the sequence pressured her to tug out of a special venture that she was “actually keen about” because of the renewal. “So my dismayed social media replies have been extra about that different venture and never about FOTB,” she mentioned on the time. “These phrases are my fact. I hope you hear them.”
Wu defined on the time that she needed to dive deeper into her craft after enjoying an “simple and nice” character on the sitcom for therefore lengthy. The Golden Globe nominee starred alongside Randall Park on the sequence, which showcased the lives of an Asian-American household in Florida within the ’90s. Contemporary Off the Boat resulted in 2020 after six seasons.
In her prolonged observe to followers, Wu mentioned the backlash — and her personal response to it — gave her a brand new perspective. “It was a scary second that made me reassess quite a bit in my life,” the Hustlers star wrote on Thursday. “For the following few years, I put my profession apart to deal with my psychological well being. [Asian-Americans] don’t discuss psychological well being sufficient. Whereas we’re fast to rejoice illustration wins, there’s a whole lot of avoidance across the extra uncomfortable points inside our group.”
Although the criticism “harm quite a bit,” Wu mentioned the state of affairs “made me understand how necessary it’s to succeed in out and look after people who find themselves going by way of a tough time.”
She owned as much as “[making] errors … a number of ’em!” and inspired those that learn her ebook to “attain out and assist folks discuss concerning the uncomfortable stuff,” even when it’s difficult. “After somewhat break from Hollywood and a whole lot of remedy I really feel OK sufficient to enterprise again on right here (at the least for somewhat bit),” she concluded. “And despite the fact that I’m scared, I’ve determined that I owe it to the me-of-3-years-ago to be courageous and share my story in order that it would assist somebody with theirs.”
When you or somebody you realize is in emotional misery or contemplating suicide, name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
