BEVERLY HILLS, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Constance Wu attends the 22nd Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 4, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for HFA)

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Constance Wu was sexually harassed during the production of “Fresh Off the Boat”

September 23, 2022

“It’s less black and white than just victim and perpetrator,” Wu said.

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

Wu, who only uses the production member’s initial, alleged that he controlled her, demanded that she seek approval for all of her business ventures, and told her what to wear. Wu claimed that she thought of him as a friend and mentor first, but then she was afraid of what would happen if she didn’t oblige.

“‘Fresh Off the Boat’ was my very first TV show. I was thrown into this world,” Wu told The New York Times. “I don’t have parents in the industry. And because I I was 30, people thought I knew what I was doing. It made me paranoid and embarrassed.

In 2015, the production crew member touched Wu’s thigh at a sporting event and then brushed his crotch. A subsequent argument during “Fresh Off the Boat” Season 2, which ran from 2015 to 2020, led to Wu cutting ties with the production crew member in question; the dispute was whether or not she would accompany him to a film festival. ABC declined to comment on the allegations.

In 2019, Wu tweeted, “Damn hell” and “So upset right now I’m literally crying. Ugh. Shit.” after the ABC sitcom was renewed for a sixth season. Wu later clarified, “Today’s tweets followed a tough day and weren’t timely with the show news. Plz know, I’m so thankful for the FOTB renewal. I love the cast and crew. I am proud to be part of it. For all the fan support, thank you and for everyone who supports my occasional use of the word fuck-thank u too.

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

Now, the “Crazy Rich Asians” actress spoke to the NYT about her “Fresh Off the Boat” trip.

“I had a public image that didn’t look much like me. I’m not really a sane person,” Wu said. “I try not to look like a hero. I try to look like a pretty normal person who has flaws like everyone else. I’m not really in the actor’s memoir where it’s like, ‘I overcame the odds, and I’m this person who was humble and just kept working. I was the victim. That’s less black on white than simply victim and perpetrator.

Wu addressed racism in Hollywood, while being told she was a “disgrace to Asian Americans” and a “plague” to the community.

“Every time 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 not pretty enough. talented,” Wu said. “Now that I’m in Hollywood, I don’t think that’s the case. I see how the machine works. I think those casting decisions have more to do with public perception, social media numbers. But I think race plays a role in all of this.

Wu continued, “It was almost joyful. It was almost as if they were eager to tear me down. I think the Asian community in Hollywood is still hyper-focused on positive portrayal, which to me is an illusion. The whole human representation is more complex. And I think it’s interesting for me to see how, at that time, when I could have used their help the most, they were the ones who put me to shame.

Wu is currently starring in “The Terminal List” and the upcoming movie “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 and going through a coming-of-age crisis. Wu is also set to reprise her role in “Crazy Rich Asians” for the planned sequel.

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