Constance Wu Says she was sexually abused for years filming ‘Fresh off the Boat’ which made her suicidal
We did not know that Constance Wu, who played Eddie Huang’s mom in the show, was subjected to repeated sexual harassment at the hands of an unnamed member of the production staff who got way too close to her on set.
Wu, seemingly out of the blue, tweeted the news that Fresh off the Boat had been renewed for a sixth season “Fucking hell” and “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck.”
Through her Twitter account, Wu stated, “Todays tweets were on the heels of rough day&were ill timed w/the news of the show. Plz know, Im so grateful for FOTB renewal. I love the cast&crew. Im proud to be a part of it. For all the fans support, thank u & for all who support my casual use of the word fuck-thank u too.”
After receiving vicious response from members of the Asian American community, including being called a “disgrace to Asian Americans” and a “blight on the community,” she tried to take her own life out of humiliation.
In reference to the occasions when she made these remarks “It was the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” that introduced me to television. I did not grow up around the business, so I was thrust into it. I was 30 at the time, so everyone assumed I knew what I was doing. It caused me to feel vulnerable and self-conscious.”
Continuing her speech, she said, “The persona I presented to the world was extremely different from the real me. I do not want people to get the wrong idea about me, so I do not act like a saint or a hero. I like to portray myself as someone who is quite typical in terms of personality and has flaws just like everyone else. Not the “I overcame the odds and I am this humble person who just kept working” type of actor memoirs really grab me. I was the one who was hurt. It is not as simple as victim versus offender.”
For more explanation, Wu said, “It bordered on elation. As if they could not wait to dismantle me, I saw this coming. My impression is that the Asian community in Hollywood is still fixated on idealized portrayals of their people, which is a mirage. Human wholeness is more nuanced to depict through art. Interesting to me is that when when I needed their support the most, they were the ones to shame me.”