Constance Wu cautiously returned to the streets of Twitter on Thursday (July 14) and revealed the backlash she received in 2019 prompted her to attempt suicide.
You may recall, that social media swooped down on Constance after she tweeted her frustrations about her ABC sitcom “Fresh Off The Boat” being renewed.
In May 2019, after the series was renewed, Constance took to Twitter writing:
So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F**k
In another tweet, she wrote, “F**king hell.”
When a fan congratulated Constance on the renewal calling it “great news,” she responded, “No it’s not.”
When someone asked her why she was upset over the renewal, Constance retorted:
I said I was upset and crying. I did not say it was over a tv show. You’re making an assumption.
When she began to get called out and clowned by other actors and actresses who mocked her by cursing their show renewals, Constance tried to clean up her hissy fit writing:
That was not a rampage, it was just how I normally talk. I say f**k a lot. I love the word. Y’all are making a lot of assumptions about what I was saying. And no, it’s not what it’s about. No it’s not..what this is all about. Stop assuming.
She then tweeted:
Todays tweets were on the heels of rough day & were ill timed w/the news of the show. Plz know, Im so grateful for FOTB renewal. I love the cast & crew. Im proud to be a part of it. For all the fans support, thank u & for all who support my casual use of the word f**k-thank u too.
What Constance forgot was that she actually went to the “Fresh Off the Boat” Instagram page and wrote “Dislike” on the post announcing the renewal.
The backlash Constance Wu received was rooted in folks feeling like she was ungrateful for having a TV job when so many other GOODT shows were canceled.
So, here we are…three years later and Constance is back on Twitter to promote her new book, “Making a Scene.”
In a letter posted on her account, she opened up about how severe “internet shaming” pushed her to attempt suicide.
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.
Constance Wu went on to share:
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.
Read her full letter below.
I had no idea Constance Wu was going through such a tough time.
She stayed booked and busy from Hustlers (2019) to “The Terminal List” (2022).
My thoughts and prayers are with Constance and anyone else who may be struggling with their mental health but remember suicide is never the answer.
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 SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
