The Crazy Rich Asians star returned to Twitter after nearly three years to plug her new book titled Making a Scene.
She also spoke about a series of tweets in 2019 that led her to try and commit suicide.
“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, 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.
“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.”
What happened in 2019 was that Wu had reacted with frustration over the renewal of her ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. The show had been renewed for another season and the actor had tweeted at the time.
“So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F—- and F—ing hell.”
When a user congratulated her on the renewal calling it “Great news”, Wu had said, “No it’s not.”
Wu later clarified her statement saying that she was upset in the moment because the Fresh Off the Boat’s renewal meant that she’d have to turn down a passion project.
Wu went on to speak about her suicide attempt saying, “It was a scary moment that made me reassess a lot in my life. 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 become 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 realise how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.”
“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). And even though I’m scared, I’ve decided that I owe it to me-of-3-years-ago to be brave and share my story so it might help someone with theirs.”