Fresh Off The Boat: Constance Wu's Regret

Constance Wu is an American actress who became well-known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. In 2019, she made a series of social media posts expressing her unhappiness with the show's renewal for a sixth season. This sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators, who called her ungrateful and a diva. Wu later clarified that her disappointment was due to having to turn down another project that she was passionate about, and she expressed regret for the insensitive timing of her initial posts. The backlash took a severe toll on Wu's mental health, leading her to take a break from social media and seek psychotherapy. In 2022, she revealed that she had attempted suicide following the incident and felt ostracized by the Asian community. Wu's experience highlights the pressures and expectations faced by actors of color, particularly in groundbreaking roles, and the importance of recognizing celebrities' humanity and treating their work as work.

Constance Wu's disappointment was due to her having to turn down another project

Constance Wu's disappointment over the renewal of "Fresh Off the Boat" was due to her having to turn down another project that she was passionate about and that would have challenged her as an artist. In a series of tweets, she expressed her unhappiness about the show's renewal, which sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators. People called her ungrateful and a diva, and she received criticism for her tone-deaf messages. However, Wu clarified that her tweets were ill-timed and insensitive, and that she loved and enjoyed working on "Fresh Off the Boat". She explained that she values artistic challenge and difficulty over success and happiness, and that the other project represented an opportunity for her to grow as an actor. Wu's experience highlights the pressure and expectations faced by actors of colour to be perfect role models and the importance of recognizing their humanity and treating their work as work.

She was criticised for her social media posts

Constance Wu's social media posts sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators. People called her ungrateful for dismissing an opportunity that many other struggling actors would have loved to have. They said her public dissatisfaction was a slap in the face to the cast and crew who worked on the show. They called her a diva.

Jimmy Kimmel made jokes about her and the incident on his show. Perez Hilton reported that she was "the most hated person" on the set of Fresh Off the Boat. Journalist Yashar Ali wrote in a since-deleted tweet, "Constance Wu's conduct today comes as no surprise to anyone who has worked with her in recent years. She has a reputation for being rude, petty, mean-spirited, and ungrateful." Actor Gemma Chan, who co-starred with Wu in Crazy Rich Asians, liked Ali's tweet. (Chan later clarified that she accidentally liked the tweet and said, "Anyone looking for drama or beef, sorry to disappoint.")

Wu further antagonized people who criticized her Twitter rant. "I said I was upset and crying," Wu wrote to one critic. "I did not say it was over a TV show. You're making an assumption." She ended the day with a final tweet, clarifying that her earlier tweets came "on the heels of [a] rough day" and that she was "grateful for the [Fresh Off the Boat] renewal."

The next day, Wu released a statement explaining that her upset feelings about the show's renewal were because she had to give up another project that she was "really passionate about." She said of Fresh Off the Boat, "It's a great show that I'm proud of and that I enjoy," and went on to praise the cast and crew as "kind" and "pleasant." She expressed regret that her tweets were ill-timed and "insensitive." "People can hold conflicting feelings in their hearts—that conflict is a part of being human," she wrote. "I appreciate those who have given me the space and faith to believe what I say about both parts of my heart."

However, the words Wu chose to end her statement caused further backlash. "It's meaningful when you make the choice to believe women," Wu concluded, seemingly alluding to the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault. That Wu would compare her situation with her show's renewal to a social movement against rape culture seemed ridiculous, and she then went on a social media hiatus.

She was sexually harassed by a senior producer on the show

Constance Wu's initial negative reaction to the renewal of "Fresh Off the Boat" for a sixth season was due to her having to turn down another project that she was passionate about. However, in 2022, three years after her controversial tweets, she revealed that she had been sexually harassed by a senior producer on the show for a couple of seasons. This added a new dimension to her earlier comments and was one of the reasons why she wanted to move on from the show.

Wu's tweets in 2019 expressing her dismay at the show's renewal sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators, who called her ungrateful and a diva. The backlash took a severe toll on Wu's mental health, leading her to attempt suicide. She took a break from social media and decreased her acting workload to focus on her mental health and undergo psychotherapy.

Wu's experience with sexual harassment on the set of "Fresh Off the Boat" was one of the difficult experiences she endured during this period. While she did not initially disclose this information publicly, she later shared it in her 2022 memoir, "Making a Scene," and in subsequent interviews.

Wu's decision to speak out about the sexual harassment she experienced is an important aspect of her story and adds context to her initial negative reaction to the show's renewal. It highlights the complex reasons behind her feelings and the challenges she faced as an actress in the industry.

She felt betrayed by her community after Simu Liu joked about her tweets

In 2019, Constance Wu expressed her dismay on social media at the renewal of the popular ABC sitcom 'Fresh Off the Boat' for a sixth season. The actress, who played Jessica Huang on the show, tweeted that she was "literally crying" and responded with expletives to a fan who congratulated her on the news. This sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators, who called her ungrateful and a diva. Wu initially denied that her tweets were about the show's renewal, but later clarified that she was upset because she had to give up another project that she was passionate about due to the renewal of 'Fresh Off the Boat'. She also praised the cast and crew of the show and expressed regret for the insensitivity of her tweets.

In 2022, Wu revealed that the backlash from her tweets, including private messages from a fellow Asian actress who told her she had "become a blight on the Asian American community", had prompted her to attempt suicide. She took a break from social media and decreased her acting workload to focus on her mental health, which included entering psychotherapy. Wu's experience highlighted the pressure that people of colour, especially those who are expected to represent their communities, face to be perfect role models.

One of the people who criticised Wu for her tweets was actor Simu Liu, who joked about her tweets and her outbursts. Liu, who is also Asian American, had risen to superstardom thanks to successful high-profile projects. Wu felt betrayed by Liu's jokes as she was already going through a tough time and felt that her Asian American colleagues were turning against her.

She attempted suicide following the backlash

Constance Wu's controversial tweets about the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat sparked intense backlash from fans and online commentators. People called her ungrateful, a diva, and even rude and petty. This backlash escalated when a fellow Asian actress messaged Wu, telling her that she had "become a blight on the Asian American community" and that the community would be better off without her. This comment, in particular, struck a chord with Wu, who started feeling like she didn't deserve to live anymore.

In July 2022, three years after the incident, Wu revealed that she had attempted suicide following the backlash. She explained that the controversy and the private messages from the fellow actress had prompted her to take her own life. Fortunately, a friend found her and rushed her to the emergency room.

Wu shared her story on social media, expressing her desire to "open pathways to healing" and encourage more open discussions about mental health within the Asian American community. She also acknowledged the pain of being ostracized by her community following the incident and how it had affected her.

Wu's experience highlights the importance of treating celebrities with humanity and offering constructive feedback or reaching out to help instead of tearing them down or contributing to the negativity.

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