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Constance Wu returned to social media this week with a devastating story about the backlash she faced over her show Fresh Off The Boat, which she says drove her to attempt suicide.
The Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers actress posted a lengthy message about her mental health on Twitter Thursday, ending a three-year absence from social media.
In the post, Wu opened up about the nasty comments she's faced from the Asian community, and revealed that some of those hurtful messages drove her to a dark place.
"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," Wu said in her statement.
In those original tweets, she said she was "so upset" by news that ABC had renewed her show Fresh Off The Boat for a second season. That prompted critics to blast her for complaining about a good thing.
She later clarified to Variety that her reaction was because the renewal meant she had to turn down "another project that I was really passionate about."
"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," she wrote in her new post.
"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."
\u201chttps://t.co/7YScJ4Pvig\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
Her 2019 tweets have since been deleted, and she says she put her career aside after that so that she could focus on her mental health.
"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. 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."
She added that she will go into "honest" detail about things in her upcoming book, Making A Scene.
"After a little break from Hollywood and a lot of therapy I feel OK enough to venture back on here," she wrote.
"And even though I'm scared, I've decided that I owe it to the me-of-3-years-ago to be brave and share my story so that it might help someone with theirs."
Wu's latest project is a show called The Terminal List on Amazon Prime.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harming themselves, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional support resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
