ABC announced a slew of cancellations and renewals on Friday, and one of the survivors was Fresh Off the Boat. It’s good news for cast, crew, and dedicated viewers—but it seemed like one of the show’s stars wasn’t super-thrilled about the news. As news of FOTB‘s renewal broke, Constance Wu sent some tweets into the ether that were definitely surprising.
“So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck,” Wu tweeted on Friday, followed a few minutes later with a tweet reading simply, “Fucking hell.” She also commented “Dislike” on the renewal announcement posted to the show’s official Instagram and responded “No it’s not” to a fan who said how great the news was (her response now seems to have been deleted).
Obviously, Twitter wanted to know what was going on. She followed up her initial tweets around an hour later with a tweeted clarification.
“That was not a rampage, it was just how I normally talk. I say fuck a lot. I love the word. Y’all are making a lot of assumptions about what I was saying. And no, it’s not what it’s about. No it’s not..what this is all about. Stop assuming,” she wrote.
One fan pressed her for a clearer explanation: “You… literally said you were upset and crying over the renewal of a tv show you’re in. Of course people are going to ask why that was your reaction to what most actors would be happy about. Care to explain why?”
“I said I was upset and crying. I did not say it was over a tv show. You’re making an assumption,” she responded.
She also wrote on Friday that “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?.”
Wu came back with another, more detailed explanation Saturday afternoon, writing that the show’s renewal meant she had to give up another project that would have “challenged [her] as an artist.”
“FOTB is a great show that I’m proud of and that I enjoy. I’ve gotten to fully explore my character and I know her like the back of my hand,” she wrote, calling her work on the show “fun and easy and pleasant.” However, she added, “I’ve always sought artistic challenge over comfort and ease.”
Wu also wrote that her tweets had been “insensitive to those who are struggling, especially insensitive considering the fact that I used to be in that struggle too,” adding an apology and saying that she realized how FOTB had opened some doors career-wise for her.
“People can hold conflicting feelings in their hearts—that conflict is a part of being human. So I can both love the show/cast/crew but at the same time be disappointed that I lost the other unrelated job,” she ended her statement.
Read the full statement here:
