Constance Wu was sexually harassed while producing Fresh Off the Boat

Constance Wu revealed in her memoir Making a Scene that a member of the Fresh Off the Boat production team molested her for years.

Using only the production member’s initials, Wu claimed to control her, required her to seek approval for all her business ventures, and told her what to wear. Wu claimed that she initially saw him as a friend and mentor, but then she became afraid of what would happen if she didn’t comply.

“Fresh Off the Boat was my very first TV show. I was thrown into this world,” Wu told the New York Times. “I have no parents in the industry. And because I was 30, people thought I knew what I was doing. It made me paranoid and embarrassed.”

In 2015, at a sporting event, the member of the production team touched Wu’s thigh and later brushed her crotch. A later argument during the second season of Fresh Off the Boat, which ran from 2015 to 2020, resulted in Wu cutting ties with the production team member in question; the argument revolved around whether or not she would accompany him to a film festival. ABC declined to comment on the allegations.

In 2019, Wu tweeted, “Fucking Hell” and “So upset I’m literally crying. Pooh. Shit.” after the ABC sitcom was renewed for a sixth season. Wu later clarified, “Today’s tweets followed a rough day and were badly timed with the news of the show. Plz know I’m so grateful for the FOTB -Renewal. I love the cast and crew. Proud to be a part of it. For the support of all the fans, thank you to you and to everyone who supports my casual use of the word fuck – thanks too.”

Wu’s self-proclaimed “careless tweets” were met with backlash, leading Wu to attempt suicide.

Now, the Crazy Rich Asians actress has opened up about her Fresh Off the Boat journey to NYT.

“I had a public image that didn’t look very much like me. I’m not really a healthy person,” Wu said. “I try not to present myself as a hero. I try to portray myself as a fairly normal person who has flaws like everyone else. I’m not really into actor memoirs that say, “I overcame all odds, and I’m that person who was humble and just kept working.” I was the victim.” It’s less black and white than just victim and perpetrator.”

Addressing racism in Hollywood, Wu said she was a “disgrace to Asian Americans” and a “disgrace” to the community.

“When I didn’t get a role, I never thought it was because I was Asian, I always thought it was because I wasn’t pretty enough or talented enough,” Wu said. “Now that I’m in Hollywood, I don’t think that’s the case. I see how the machine works. I think these casting decisions have more to do with public perception and social media numbers. But I think race plays a role in all of this.”

Wu continued, “It was almost cheerful. It was almost like they couldn’t wait to tear me down. I think the Asian community in Hollywood is still very focused on positive representation, which is an illusion to me. Whole, human representation is more complex. And I think it’s interesting to me that back when I could have needed their help the most, they were the people who shamed me.”

Wu is currently starring in The Terminal List and the upcoming film Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. She also stars in “East Bay,” writer/director Daniel Yoon’s portrayal of the son of Asian immigrants living in the Bay Area who is going through a coming-of-age crisis. Wu will also reprise her role in Crazy Rich Asians for the planned sequel.

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