Constance Wu Says She Attempted Suicide After ‘Fresh Off the Boat' Backlash

Constance Wu is speaking out about the importance of mental health after almost taking her life three years ago.  

On July 14, the actress returned to social media with a heartbreaking statement about her three-year absence—and why she was hesitant to return to promote her new book. "Tbh, I'm a little scared but I'm dipping my toe back in to say I'm here and while I was gone I wrote a book called 'Making a Scene,'" she began. "The next part is hard to talk about…but 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," she continued, referring to her disappointment in May 2019 that her show Fresh Off the Boat had been renewed. "It ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe." 

Though she said she felt "awful," about what she said, the damage had already been done.  

"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," Constance wrote. "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." 

Looking back, she said the "scary moment" was one 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," Constance, who welcomed a daughter in 2020, explained. "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 with our community."

That includes her very own tweets, which Constance said became "so touchy that most of my AsAm colleagues decided that was the time to avoid me or ice me out. 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."

Thus, she was inspired to write. Today, she says she's here "to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff 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 scare of or ashamed of—parts that, however imperfect, require care and attention. And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do so."

And like the rest of us, she's only human. "While my book is not always the most flattering portrayal, it's as honest as I know how to be," she added. "Because the truth is, I'm not poised or graceful or perfect. I'm emotional. I make mistakes…lots of ‘em!" 

And now, three years down the line, she feels ready to step back into the world of social media once again.  

"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 concluded. "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." 

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.