Constance Wu is an Asian American actress who has made many strides for the Asian American community— from starring in a hit ABC sitcom to making it on the big screen with the first-ever film by a major Hollywood studio to feature a majority Asian cast in over 25 years. Even with all these accomplishments under her belt, one click of a button and posting a tweet on social media made her world crumble. In her book Making a Scene, Wu details the aftermath of the Twitter storm, how the attacks made her go to a dark place, and how she overcame her inner demons over time.
Trigger Warning: Mention of sexual harassment and self-harm
Acting CAREER
The breakout role that introduced Constance Wu to the world was in her ABC sitcom, Fresh Off The Boat. Set during the years 1995-2000, this show centers around the Huang Family, a Taiwanese-American family, and their move from Chinatown, Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida. The sitcom gave a comical look inside the world of immigrants and their lives in America. The show was a hit the minute it premiered on broadcast television and went on to be nominated for multiple Critics’ Choice Awards and NAACP Image Awards.
Wu then went on to star in one of the biggest movies of 2018: Crazy Rich Asians. She, along with the entire cast of the movie, was able to make significant strides for the Asian American community and was able to represent them on a big platform. After this movie, it seemed as though Wu was beginning her trajectory away from the TV sitcom and beginning her journey of performing in more movies, with her starring in the movie Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez. But after posting one tweet with no one knowing what she was dealing with behind the scenes, her world came crashing down.
Twitter Backlash
In a now-deleted tweet, Constance Wu posted: “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F*ck.” in response to Fresh Off The Boat being renewed for season 6. After reading this, fans of the actress went mad and started to go against her, responding with hateful and vile comments. One fan tweeted “You literally said you were upset and crying over the renewal of a tv show you’re in. Of course people are going to ask why that was your reaction to what most actors would be happy about. Care to explain why?” Wu responded to this tweet explaining “I said I was upset and crying. I did not say it was over a tv show. You’re making an assumption.” But even with this clarification, people still honed it into the constant backlash against the actress. After this, Constance Wu stayed off social media for years— until now.
Coming back to social Media
After more than a three-year break from social media, Constance Wu came back into the spotlight. She took time to explain her side of the story, along with the struggles that she faced that no one knew about in her new memoir Making a Scene. In the book, she writes that the reason she dreaded returning to the set of Fresh Off The Boat wasn’t due to what the media depicted: that Wu had been an ungrateful actress who thought she was too big for TV. In reality, Wu had been sexually harassed by one of the producers of the beloved sitcom. In multiple interviews while promoting the book, she has never dropped the name of this individual, other than the fact that he was a male Asian American producer. He would ask her to do things such as “sexy selfies” and touching her in inappropriate places that made her uncomfortable.
When Twitter drama exploded all over the media and the backlash was spreading like wildfire, a fellow Asian American actress stepped forward and DMed her, saying that Wu had “become a blight on the Asian American community.” With so much coming her way from all different angles, she felt as though she didn’t even deserve to live anymore. Wu felt like such a disgrace to her community that she only tried to uplift and represent. She then went to a dark place and almost committed suicide by jumping off her apartment balcony. Fortunately, a friend was able to help her and rush her to the ER to get the treatment she needed.
Now, after stepping back from the spotlight and focusing on her mental health, she is now ready to let it all bare out and share her story so that it may help someone who may be facing their own mental health issues.
Constance Wu is just one of many individuals who have been suffering in silence for so long. She was brave in coming out with her story and sharing her struggles with the world. Her story just goes to show that we really have no idea what inner struggles people are facing on daily basis, so we shouldn’t cast judgment if we don’t know the whole story. If you are interested in hearing more about her journey and backstory, definitely go check out her memoir Making a Scene.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.