*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.
Actor Constance Wu has revealed that she attempted suicide following the Twitter uproar erupted over controversial comments she made about the ABC sitcom she appeared in, Fresh Off the Boat.
Wu shared her story in a post to Twitter which marks the first time she has appeared on the social media platform since the controversy three years ago.
The firestorm began when Wu tweeted that she was unhappy with the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat, because it meant she would have to decline another project.
But since the show was the first sitcom centered on an Asian-American family since Margaret Cho's All-American Girl went off the air in 1995, the comments set off an immediate backlash in the media and on platforms like Twitter.
Wu says even fellow Asian-Americans excoriated her for her comments and accused her of betraying her own ethnic community.
In the statement she posted, seen below, Wu described the harrowing events that culminated in a terrifying close-call with suicide.
\u201chttps://t.co/7YScJ4Pvig\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
In the statement, Wu wrote that she was terrified to be rejoining social media after everything that went down three years ago.
"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 went on to describe how the backlash made her feel at the time.
"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."
Wu called the experience "surreal."
"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."
Nowadays, Wu says she is on the mend after having "put my career aside to focus on my mental health." She's written a memoir about the experience that she hopes will help others who struggle with mental health issues.
On Twitter, Wu's statement generated an outpouring of support.
\u201c@ConstanceWu Constance, with this courage, you are saving lives. Welcome back.\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
\u201c@ConstanceWu @jdgtranen I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re still around \u2665\ufe0f\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
\u201c@ConstanceWu Thank you for sharing, this will be illuminating for so many souls. And welcome back\u2026\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
\u201c@ConstanceWu Sending you lots and lots of love Constance. You are brave and courageous. Thank you for all that you have given to the world -- you are a loved and appreciated.\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
\u201c@ConstanceWu @karenkho Welcome back and thanks for sharing your story.\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
\u201c@ConstanceWu i'm sorry you went through this darkness. i'm so glad you are still here with us. we need to talk more about mental health. thank you for sharing.\u201d— Constance Wu (@Constance Wu) 1657826159
Others used Wu's story as a sort of cautionary tale for the way social media is all to frequently used to abuse others.
\u201cthis website is largely used for public humiliation and indulging the innate human desire to dominate others. "the libido dominandi" augustine called it. it's why there's always a 'main character' on twitter: someone being ritually abused. it's what the site is for. this is bad.\u201d— Elizabeth Bruenig (@Elizabeth Bruenig) 1657904952
\u201cI hope everyone who downplays the impact of online harassment reads and processes this thread\u201d— Ellen K. Pao (@Ellen K. Pao) 1657844529
\u201cnotice how robert pattinson, a white man openly hated twilight and people thought he was quirky and then constance wu, an asian woman, does the same thing and gets death threats. okay.\u201d— lumax cass \u2601\ufe0e (@lumax cass \u2601\ufe0e) 1657843131
\u201cWow. Actress Constance Wu, back on social media for the first time in three years, reveals that she attempted suicide after she was the subject of a Twitter pile-on. Before you tweet something cruel, remember you're talking to a fellow human being. https://t.co/e9MOxx1Jwb\u201d— Michael David Smith (@Michael David Smith) 1657827293
Wu concluded her statement by saying that though she is "scared" to be returning to social media, she hopes it will help her heal and provide opportunities to "share my story so that it might help someone with theirs."
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If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
