Constance Wu Reveals Dealing With Sexual Harassment on 'Fresh Off the Boat' Set for Years
Amid Jenette McCurdy sharing details of alleged abuse in her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died while working on the Nicekdoleon show iCarly – and not being protected by adult executives – Fresh off the Boat alum Constance Wu's new memoir has her own bombshell revelations. In the book Making a Scene, Wu alleges that a production team member sexually harassed her for years. Without naming the abuser, Wu writes that he controlled her, demanded she ask for approval for all her business ventures, and told her what to wear. Initially, she says she viewed him as a friend and mentor, but eventually became fearful of him, especially if she didn't follow his demands.
The actress says being new to the industry naive played a role in the way she handled things at the time. "'Fresh Off the Boat' was my first-ever TV show. I was thrown into this world," she told The New York Times in a recent interview. "I don't have parents in the industry. And because I was 30, people thought I knew what I was doing. It made me paranoid and embarrassed." She tells the story of the production member touching thigh at a sporting event and later grazing her vaginal region. A later argument during Season 2 of the show resulted in her ending all ties with the production member. She says the argument was over whether or not she would go with him to a film festival. ABC. the network that aired the show, declined to comment on the allegations. The show aired from 2015-2020, and chronicled the lives of immigrants in America.
She previously hinted that things weren't good on set. In 2019, she Tweeted: "F–king hell" and "So upset right now that I'm literally crying. Ugh. F-k," after the sitcom was renewed for a sixth season.
She later explained her Tweet. "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."
She later attempted suicide. Reflecting on her time on the show, Wu told the New York Times: "I had a public image that was not very much like myself. I'm not really that wholesome of a person. I try not to make myself out to be a hero. I try to make myself out to be a pretty normal person who has flaws like everybody else. I'm not really into the actor 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.' It's less black and white than simply victim and perpetrator."