It’s been nearly three years since Constance Wu last appeared on social media, but on Thursday she reappeared to announce the release of her new book, Making a Scene, and talk about the hostility she received following the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat in 2019.
That year, Wu took to Twitter to vent her anger and displeasure with ABC’s decision to take up the Asian-centered sitcom for a sixth season in May.
This is the first time in three years that I’ve come back to social media, and I was afraid because I almost lost my life three years ago when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, which ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe,” the 40-year-old actress wrote in a lengthy letter posted on Twitter.
“As soon as a fellow Asian actor in my Twitter DMs told me I’d become a disgrace to the Asian American community, I felt like my life was over.
My reputation among [Asian Americans] was tarnished and I should be removed. Now that I think about it, it’s almost weird that a handful of DMs managed to persuade me to take my own life. A friend found me and brought me to the ER.”
An uproar ensued when ABC announced it would be renewing Fresh Off The Boat for a sixth season in 2019, prompting Crazy Rich Asians actor Constance Wu to tweet:
“I’m in such a bad mood right now that I can’t stop sobbing. Ugh. F**k.” “F**king hell,” she tweeted in response to the first. Commenter “wonderful news” left congrats for Wu, and she answered, “No it’s not.
” Wu replied. Later, Wu explained that her tweets were not a reflection of her views about the sitcom’s renewal but rather the climax of a “tough day,” “poor timed w/the news of the show,” and that the pickup meant she’d have to give up a project she’d been “passionate about.” about. Later, the actress expressed her regrets.
It was a frightening event in my life that prompted me to reevaluate my priorities, Wu stated in the letter. “The next few years will be devoted to improving my mental health rather than my professional life. There isn’t enough discussion about mental health among AsAms.
There is a lot of avoidance in our community when it comes to discussing the more difficult aspects of our lives. Eventually, even my tweets became a touchy matter, and many of my AsAm colleagues decided to shun or ignore me as a result. However, this experience has made me realize that reaching out to others who are going through difficult times is essential.”
“Help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff in order to comprehend it, grapple with it, and open pathways to healing,” Wu says of the three years she spent away from the limelight. “It afforded me clarity and provided an opportunity to put my experiences and opinions on paper.”
“There are parts of us that we’re afraid of or ashamed of, and those areas need our care and attention if we want to be recognized as fully as possible. This is not the most favorable portrayal, but it is as honest as I can be. We need to quit beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do this,” she concluded.”
“I’m not graceful or poised in any way. I’m overcome with emotion. There are a lot of mistakes I’ve made throughout my life!”
On the other side of her hiatus, Wu, who is presently playing a terminally ill patient on Amazon Prime’s The Terminal List, says she is “OK enough to venture back on social media.” This me-of-three-years-ago owes me a duty of bravery, so I will share my tale in the hopes that it can help someone else,” she concluded her letter.
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