“It’s surreal that several DMs convinced me to end my life, but it happened.”
Posted 5 hours ago
Constance Wu has returned to social media for the first time in three years to address the backlash caused by her controversial Fresh off the boat tweets and revealed how difficult this time has been for her.
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If you missed it, Crazy rich Asians the actor shared a series of posts in 2019 expressing his displeasure with the renewal of the hit ABC sitcom in which she played lead character Jessica Huang.
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The show, which was renewed for its sixth and final season, centered on a Taiwanese family that immigrated to the US. It was super popular with viewers, even scoring an impressive 94% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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However, Constance was clearly disappointed at the news of its renewal for season 6, which sparked a backlash when she tweeted: “I’m so upset right now I’m literally crying. ugh Damn’ and ‘Damn’.
When a fan congratulated Constance on renewing her show and remarked that it was “great news”, the actor replied “No it’s not” before continuing to comment “I don’t like it” under the official Fresh off the boatInstagram post about it.
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After Constance’s tweets attracted loads of negative attention online, she defended her words, suggesting fans were “making a lot of assumptions” about what she was saying.
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“It wasn’t a riot, it was just like I usually talk. I say a hell of a lot. I love the word. You are all making a lot of assumptions about what I said. And no, it’s not about that. No it isn’t..what is it about. Stop guessing,” she wrote.
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She later appeared to walk back her remarks, admitting they were “ill-timed” with news of the show’s renewal.
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“Today’s tweets were after a hard day and not timely with the news from the show. Please know, I am so grateful for FOTB renewal. I love the cast and crew. I’m proud to be a part of it. For the support of all the fans, thank you and for everyone who supports my careless use of the word damn – thank you too,” she tweeted.
The following day, Constance issued an official statement apologizing for her angry comments, explaining that she was “temporarily upset” because Fresh Off the Boat’s the renewal meant she “had to let go of another project” she was passionate about.
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“I love FOTB,” she wrote. “Yesterday I was temporarily upset no bc I hate the show but bc renewing it meant I had to give up another project I was really passionate about. So my horrified responses on social media were more about this other project than FOTB.
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And the actor would go on to delete all traces of her social media activity before going online for the next three years.
But now Constance has returned to social media with a harsh statement posted on June 14 in which she admitted she was “terrified” by the resurgence of online platforms.
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“I haven’t been on social media in almost 3 years,” she began. “Tbh I’m a little scared but I’m dipping my toe back in to say I’m here and while I’ve been gone I’ve written a book called Creating a scene” she wrote, referring to her book of personal memoirs in essays, which comes out this October.
Twitter: @ConstanceWu
Continuing to recall the “severe” backlash and “internet shaming” she faced following her Fresh off the boat In comments, Constance revealed that she attempted suicide as a result of the outrage.
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“It’s hard to talk about this next part … but I was afraid to go back on social media because I almost lost my life to it,” she wrote. “3 years ago when I made some careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, it caused outrage and internet shaming that got pretty heavy.”
“I felt terrible about what I said, and when a few DMs from another Asian actress told me that I had become a stain on the Asian American community, I started to feel like I didn’t even deserve to live anymore. That I was an embarrassment to AsAms and they will be better off without me,” revealed the actor.
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“Looking back, it’s surreal that several DMs convinced me to end my life, but it happened. Luckily, a friend found me and took me to the emergency room,” she added.
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Constance noted that it ultimately prompted her to “reevaluate a lot” in her life, which encouraged her to work to promote and destigmatize conversations about mental health in the Asian American community.
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“Over the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my mental health,” she wrote. “AsAms don’t talk enough about mental health. While we are quick to celebrate performance victories, there is a lot of avoidance of the more inconvenient issues in our community.”
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“Even my tweets became such a sensitive topic that most of my AsAm colleagues decided that it was time to avoid me or get me out,” she continued. “I admit it hurt a lot, but it also made me realize how important it is to reach out and take care of people who are going through a difficult time.”
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Constance said she wrote Creating a scene to “help people talk about uncomfortable things” and “open pathways to healing.”
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“If we want to be seen, really seen… we must allow everything of ourselves to be seen, including the parts we fear or are ashamed of—parts that, however imperfect, require care and attention,” she writes. “And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) when we do. So while my book isn’t always the most flattering description, it’s as honest as I know how to be. Because the truth is, I’m not poised, graceful, or perfect. I’m emotional. I make mistakes… a lot!”
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Constance ended her statement by noting that she was feeling “well enough” to return to social media after her long hiatus and “lots of therapy.”
“After a short break from Hollywood and a a lot in therapy I feel well enough to venture back here (at least for a little while),” she wrote. “And even though I’m scared, I decided I owed it to me from 3 years ago to be brave and share my story so it can help someone with theirs.”
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“If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text STRENGTH to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741,” the actor said with a link to his website. (This already redirects users to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line — 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will direct U.S. callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.)
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to
19:16 – July 14, 2022 …
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