Constance Wu has returned to social media after a three-year hiatus following her massive Fresh Off The Boat renewal controversy — and she has a very important message to share about mental health.
The actress made headlines in the worst way back in 2019 when she tweeted about how disappointed she was that her ABC comedy had been renewed for a sixth season. Pretty soon thereafter she dropped off social media entirely — but on Thursday she finally returned to Twitter to explain her absence. Turns out, she vanished from the platform because she was struggling with her mental health — and had even attempted suicide — after the intense backlash she faced.
In the lengthy text post, Constance candidly revealed:
“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 next part is hard to talk about… but 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.”
Oh no! As Perezcious readers may recall, as news of her series renewal made headlines three years ago, the star tweeted:
“So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F**k”
Moments later, she added:
“F**king hell.”
When one fan congratulated her on the renewal, saying it was “great news,” she commented:
“No it’s not.”
After the tweets blew up, the Hustlers star explained that she was upset at the time because the renewal meant she’d have to turn down a “passion project,” a role that would have challenged her more than the “easy and pleasant” comedy series. Wu explained her reasoning further, adding:
“Sometimes even my closest friends are baffled at how I could value artistic challenge/difficulties over success/happiness. But I do. I know it’s weird.”
The comments were seen as ungrateful, selfishly trashing her TV show and everyone who worked so hard on it. The negativity came hard — but the worst was what we didn’t see. She recalled in Thursday’s post:
“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.”
Whoa. That’s incredibly intense — and all over her opinions about her job. She does not name the actress, but something tells us that woman is feeling pretty awful about her words now.
Btw, Constance isn’t just saying she had dark thoughts here. She actually took steps — and is only alive today because of someone’s intervention:
“Luckily, a friend found me and rushed me to the ER.”
Thank goodness her friend found her!
Constance now calls the controversy a “scary moment” that made her “reassess” a lot about her life, continuing:
“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.”
People’s true colors tend to shine in moments of struggle. We’re sure it was really tough to lose the support of those she considered friends.
In her time away from the internet, the Crazy Rich Asians star has written a book that she hopes helps inspire others to get the mental healthcare they need. She says:
“That’s why I wrote my book and why I’m here today – to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff in order to understand it, reckon with it, and open pathways to healing. If we want to be seen, really seen… we need to let all of ourselves be seen, including the parts we’re scared of or ashamed of–parts that, however imperfect, require care and attention. And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do. So while my book is not always the most flattering portrayal, it’s as honest as I know how to be. Because the truth is, I’m not poised or graceful or perfect. I’m emotional. I make mistakes… lots of ‘em!”
After giving herself plenty of time to recover from the pain of the moment, she is now ready to slowly find her voice on social media again. The 40-year-old concluded:
“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.”
Such a powerful post. You can read it in full (below):
It takes so much courage to talk so openly about mental health — especially on a platform that caused her so much harm. We hope she feels a little freer after sharing her truth, and that this story serves as a reminder for others about the IRL consequences hateful comments on social media can have. Never forget, kindness goes such a long way!
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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