Constance Wu attempted suicide following backlash over controversial tweets

Constance Wu attempted suicide following backlash over her Fresh Off the Boat tweets in 2019.

Back in May 2019, the actress became the centre of a controversy after she expressed frustration over the renewal of the popular ABC TV show for a sixth season. She later apologised for her tweets.

Following a three-year hiatus from social media, she returned to the platform on Thursday to open up about her mental health struggles.

"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 began. "I felt awful about what I'd said, and when a few DMs (direct messages) 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."

Wu went on to describe how the "scary moment" led to her reassessing her life choices. She put her work on hold and focused on her 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," the Crazy Rich Asians star continued. "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 the me-of-3-years-ago to be brave and share my story so that it might help someone with theirs."

Wu welcomed a daughter with her boyfriend Ryan Kattner in 2020. She will soon begin promoting her memoir, Making a Scene.