Asian Americans don't talk about mental health enough, Survived a suicide attempt, says Constance Wu

Washington: Crazy Rich Asians fame Constance Wu revealed that she survived a suicide attempt three years ago. In a note shared on Twitter, the Hollywood actress said a bitter backlash on social media drove her to self-harm.

The 40-year-old observed that Asian Americans do not 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," wrote the actress.

Wu rose to fame after starring in the American sitcom Fresh Off the Boat which started airing in 2015. The show follows a Taiwanese-American family that relocated to Florida and is building a new life.

The show had seen much success, and ABC renewed it for a sixth season in 2019. Wu was not happy about it because the sitcom was putting her other projects on hold. She was scaling up in her career after the success of the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians.

Wu tweeted that she is upset about the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat. "So upset right now that I'm literally crying. Ugh."

Many social media users called her ungrateful about the sitcom's success. In the note, she revealed that another Asian American actress messaged her calling her "a blight on the Asian American community".

The actress said that the backlash made her feel like she didn't deserve to live anymore and she was a disgrace to Asian Americans. When she attempted to take her own life, a friend found her and rushed to the ER.

Wu had taken a three-year-long break from social media following the incident.

In the note, she said coming back to social media is scary but she is "dipping her toe". She added that it seems surreal that a few DMs convinced her to end her life. Wu further said what happened three years ago was a "scary moment" that made her reassess a lot in life.

The actress wrote that she put her career aside to focus on mental health. Talking about the lack of conversations about mental health among Asian Americans, she wrote "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 will admit it hurt a lot."

She added that it made her realise how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time. Wu wrote a book titled "Making a Scene" during her hiatus. She called the book to be an honest but not the most flattering portrayal.

"We need to stop beating each other and ourselves up. We need to let all of ourselves be seen, including the parts that we are scared of and ashamed of." She added that those parts need "care and attention".

The actress concluded the note by saying she owes it to her past self to be brave and share her story. "It might help someone with their story." She added that a break from Hollywood and a lot of therapy have made her feel "ok" to venture back.