Constance Wu has returned to Twitter for the first time in three years to address her break from acting and announce the release of her new book Making A Scene.
In a lengthy post, the star of Hollywood films – including Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers – shared that she attempted suicide following backlash she received over a 2019 tweet, in which she expressed frustration that her ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat had been renewed for another season.
Wu shared a post to social media on Thursday (13 July), which reads: “I was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it: three 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 [Asian Americans], 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.”
Wu continued: “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,” she said. “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.”
At the time, Wu later clarified her comments about the Fresh of the Boat renewal, stating that she was “proud” of the series.
Wu, who currently stars opposite Chris Pratt in The Terminal List, concluded her post on Thursday stating that she feels “OK enough” to return to social media.
“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),” she said.