Constance Wu has said that she attempted suicide after backlash to a series of "careless" tweets in 2019. In a statement marking her first return to Twitter in nearly three years, writes The Guardian.
The Hustlers actor announced her upcoming book, Making a Scene, and explained that she 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."
Constance Wu says she attempted suicide after Twitter backlash in 2019 (The Guardian)
Excerpt from The Guardian: At the time, Wu reacted in frustration to ABC’s renewal of the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, in which she starred. She tweeted: "So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck" and "Fucking hell." When another user congratulated her, calling the renewal "great news", Wu replied, "No it’s not." Wu later clarified that her comments were posted during a "rough day" and that her disappointment was due to having to pull out of a passion project. She added in a statement that her role on Fresh Off the Boat had become "easy and pleasant" and she was looking for new challenges.
According to the statement from Variety, Wu 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. 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.”
Constance Wu Attempted Suicide After ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Tweet Backlash (Variety)
Excerpt from Variety: "It was a scary moment that made me reassess a lot in my life," Wu writes about her suicide attempt. "For the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my 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. 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."
In a related story, starting July 16, people in mental health crisis will have a new way to reach out for help. Instead of dialing the current 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, they can simply call or text the numbers 9-8-8, reports NPR.
The new 988 crisis number is about to launch. Here's what to know (NPR)
Excerpt from NPR: Modeled after 911, the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional. "If you are willing to turn to someone in your moment of crisis, 988 will be there," said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, at a recent press briefing. "988 won't be a busy signal, and 988 won't put you on hold. You will get help." The primary goal of the new number is to make it easier for people to call for help. But lawmakers and mental health advocates see this as an opportunity to transform the mental health care system and make behavioral health care easily accessible everywhere in the United States.
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