“Good girls don’t make scenes,” was a constant reprimand Constance Wu heard while growing up in the Richmond suburbs. Now 40 years old, the accomplished performer has had enough of staying quiet.
After taking a three-year break from social media, Wu is making a comeback with her new, emotionally raw memoir, “Making a Scene.” Dropping today, Oct. 4, “Making a Scene” offers an exceptionally personal look into Wu’s life and career.
In a collection of brutally honest essays, the memoir details Wu’s private childhood memories, her various loves and heartbreaks, how she survived her 2019 social media controversy, experiences of harassment and sexual assault and traces the trajectory of her career from a struggling actress to an overnight star. “That’s why I wrote my book and why I’m here today—to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff in order to understand it, reckon with it and open pathways to healing,” Wu recently tweeted to announce the memoir’s release. “And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do.”
Wu is best known for starring in “Crazy Rich Asians” and the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat,” the latter of which led to her Twitter struggles. Back in 2019, the actress took to Twitter to bemoan the series’ renewal. In a same-day apology, Wu was quick to counter her emotional statement by explaining that she’d been upset to give up another project she felt passionately about, but regardless, social media backlash ensued. In the face of ruthless online comments, the star retreated from social media and even attempted suicide.
Wu addresses her experiences head-on in “Making a Scene.” This and other emotionally vibrant stories in the memoir offer a candid glimpse at being an Asian American woman within the entertainment industry, and the actress’ ongoing struggle of shaping her online presence and identity in Hollywood.
