Constance Wu at the 2019 Unforgettable Gala. Image Source: THR
Constance Wu shared that Simu Li apologized.
Constance Wu recently opened up on the latest episode of Red Table Talk that actor Simu Li, who served as the host of the 2019 Unforgettable Gala, had mocked her for the infamous tweets she sent after she got word that her ABC sitcom Fresh Off The Boat was renewed for season six, apologized to her later.
Constance Wu said that she was subjected to punishment and mockery for the tweets she sent in response to learning of the show's renewal and the media backlash, as well as messages from her co-stars accusing her of ruining everything. This eventually drove her to consider suicide but was saved by a friend in time. She said that the 2019 Unforgettable Gala, an annual celebration of Asian achievement presented by organizers Character Media, wished to honor the show and the children who appeared in it. She claimed that she had been invited to the event.
The actress claimed that she was hesitant to attend the event where Fresh Off The Boat was given the Lexus Legacy Award because of the controversy surrounding her at the time as a result of the tweets. The award honors leaders of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who have fought for API presence in the arts, entertainment, and culture.
Constance Wu believes that her community has not yet accepted her because of the tweets. Image Source: People
She said she kept thinking that if she goes, people will want to speak about it with her about the tweets and everything and but she was not in the right frame of mind to explain to everyone why she did not want to do the event. But at the same time, she said that she adored her kids in the program, so she wanted them to have their moment and be famous and appreciate them, so she decided to attend. Constance claimed that she had expressed to the team her desire for no one to make fun of it since she is still feeling quite vulnerable about it and is not yet prepared to take it. Additionally, she said that the event's planners were unaware of her previous suicide attempt, but she emphasized that she would not cope with it and they had assured her that nothing of the sort would occur.
Constance recalled that she arrived and took a seat in the first row with all eyes on her. Within the first 10 minutes of the program, the host, Simu Li, cracked a joke about her, leaving her sitting there by herself and fighting back tears as the audience gasped in shock. There is no footage of the joke online, but according to Deadline, Simu Li poked fun at the actress at the moment, and the audience laughed and raised their eyebrows in response. Constance mentioned that they had assured her they wouldn't make fun of her, but they did so right away and that she thought they were putting her on.
Constance shared during the conversation that the entire thing felt like a betrayal from the Asian American community, and a couple of months before it happened, she was in an emergency room. The actress, however, said that the actor did the right thing and apologized to her, and she described that it was a sincere apology from the actor. Constance Wu details the aftermath of the tweets she sent at the time in her memoir, "Making a Scene," and how she was pushed to take a step to end her life but was saved by a friend.
The actress said that she still feels isolated from the rest of her group and explained that she feels like they are avoiding her. Rather than being overt, Constance Wu said she can sense their displeasure by their lack of communication with her before and following her on Twitter. And it's obvious. The stillness has a result.
Constance Wu will be seen in "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" and, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, talked about her process of writing. She explained that she writes about a lot of different things and somebody just asks her how she is doing. Is she okay? She added that she thinks a big theme is how hard healing is and how kids have big emotions and one needs to let them express them and find ways to deal with them. Constance concluded that it’s one of the overarching themes of the book, which she said is also what the movie is all about as well.
Making a Scene is out now.
