“Crazy Rich Asians” star Constance Wu is back on social media after a three year hiatus. Wu was open with her fans in her latest post about her mental health and a suicide attempt.
The actress recounts the online hate and backlash over her reaction in 2019 to “Fresh Off the Boat” being renewed for a sixth and final season. At the time, Wu took to social media to air her frustrations about the show’s renewal.
Wu was upset because the renewal meant she had to say no to projects she really wanted to play in. Many fans called the star “ungrateful,” and the online abuse became so overwhelming that Wu contemplated taking her own life.
“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 said. “That I was a disgrace to [Asian Americans], and they’d be better off without me.”
Wu said she’s found new perspective as she navigates being a celebrity whose life is all over the internet. In the statement, Wu announced that those experiences had inspired her book, “Making a Scene.”
“AsAms don’t talk about mental health enough,” Wu wrote. “While we’re quick to celebrate representation wins, there’s a lot of avoidance around the more uncomfortable issues within our community.”
According to the American Psychological Association, only 8.6 percent of Asian Americans seek mental health services — that’s three times less likely than other demographic groups.
“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,” she said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada), and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
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