Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu has finally reappeared after three years of silence, explaining what led her to disappear from social media and the limelight.
Wu revealed that the backlash she received from a series of tweets in 2019 led her to attempt to harm herself.
In a statement she posted to Twitter recently, the actress confirmed that she is returning back to social media after a three-year hiatus due to experiencing mental health issues.
She said, “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,” she wrote. “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 further said that the online bullying drove her to attempt self-harm, but luckily a friend found her and rushed her to the hospital. She revealed that since then, she had spent time away from social media and her career in Hollywood to focus on recovering.
Wu starred alongside Randall Park in the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat.” When it was renewed for a sixth season in 2019, she seemingly tweeted her disappointment about the renewal, and her response went viral. She later explained that the tweets were “ill-timed” and not actually related to the show’s renewal.
“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 continued. “I’ll admit it hurt a lot, but it also made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.
“That’s why I wrote my book and why I’m here today — to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff in order to understand it, reckon with it, and open pathways to healing. If we want to be seen, really seen… we need to let all of ourselves be seen, including the parts we’re scared or ashamed of—parts that, however imperfect, require care and attention.”
Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com
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