In May 2018, in the midst of yet another manic episode featuring delusions of grandeur, Kanye West stopped by the TMZ office and ranted on camera for some length of time. TMZ dutifully published an edited version of Kanye’s rant, where he said sh-t like “slavery was a choice.” In the wake of Kanye’s more recent anti-Semitic comments, former TMZ employee Van Lathan told the Higher Learning podcast this week that Kanye’s 2018 TMZ rant also included anti-Semitic hatred too, stuff about how much Kanye “loved Hitler”. Lathan says that TMZ higher ups decided to edit out the anti-Semitic stuff. It turns out that Tucker Carlson’s producers also edited out some of Kanye’s anti-Semitic hate speech in the interview he did last week.

All of that leads me to wonder how long people have been covering for Kanye. I’ve always believed his hate speech and racist bullsh-t was a lot worse than we even knew, and there’s now evidence that yes, that’s exactly what was happening. How long did Kim Kardashian sit by and listen to Kanye spew that kind of hatred before she had enough? According to Page Six’s sources, Kim is completely over it, even though she’s probably heard it all before.

Kanye West has crossed the line with Kim Kardashian. The Skims mogul is so fed up with Ye’s behavior that she doesn’t even talk to him about their kids’ schedules anymore without a third party, sources familiar with the situation tell Page Six.

“They have had zero communication in several weeks, and all communication regarding the kids’ schedules are now coordinated through assistants,” a source told Page Six.

We’re told Kardashian was repulsed by Ye’s “White Live Matters” shirts, his subsequent interview with Tucker Carlson, and his anti-Semitic tweets, which “she is very upset by” according to the source.

“She has had enough of his conspiracy theories, bullying and hateful rhetoric,” the source said. The couple were married for seven years, and Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021. Another insider told us of Ye’s behavior that, “everyone is now seeing for themselves, was the catalyst for the divorce.”

The source added: “In the past, when Kanye would spiral and destroy everything in his path, Kim would be the person everyone would call to get him help or be the only one who could get him to snap out of his dark mental state.”

Kardashian “felt it was best to end the marriage when she realized she could no longer help someone that didn’t want to be helped,” they added.

Now it seems Kanye has found a new shoulder to lean on in pal Candace Owens, the conservative Blexit founder, who accompanied him at his Paris Fashion Week show donning the “WLM” t-shirt. Kardashian and Ye were said to be in a cordial place just four weeks ago — but, “things took a turn when Kanye started alienating himself by hanging around Candace,” the first source said.

Sources close to West confirmed he is firing “anyone who has disagreed with him” on his team in an effort to build a political team, which includes Owens, to help launch a 2024 presidential campaign. “She’s calling around on his behalf and working for him. It’s like she’s his publicist and advisor,” our insider believes.

[From Page Six]

“Everyone is now seeing for themselves, was the catalyst for the divorce.” Yeah but Kim repeatedly emphasized that Kanye’s mental health issues were not the reason. I know she’s in a tough place and she also never wanted to look like she was dumping Kanye over his bipolar disorder. I’ve never blamed Kim for getting out, I’ve never blamed her for saying “enough,” and I respect the fact that her focus is on her children and making sure that she maintains some kind of civility with Kanye for the sake of their kids. But it’s genuinely upsetting to think about all of the vile, hateful rhetoric Kanye has spewed for YEARS, and how much of it could have been in front of the kids too. In the end, I wonder what took Kim so long to get out.

Some photos of Kanye and Candace Owens last night:

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

One week ago, Prince Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and Doreen Lawrence sued Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Mail Online. The lawsuit alleges that the Mail went a lot further than the Leveson Inquiry uncovered a decade ago. The Leveson Inquiry uncovered a lot of phone hacking and payoffs to police and hospitals. This new lawsuit alleges that the Mail was tapping phone lines and planting recording devices in homes, cars and businesses. There are allegations of bribery of police, government officials, medical professionals and more. There are allegations that the Mail accessed bank accounts, credit histories and more. This has been a long time coming, and many believed that Harry was and is uniquely positioned to take this kind of case all the way. Omid Scobie devoted his Yahoo UK column this week to Harry’s lawsuit. Some highlights:

Filing the lawsuit: The move was the result of many months of evidence preparation and careful coordination. Four other filings were made on the same day, seeing the Duke of Sussex listed as part of a wider group of six high-profile accusers including Elton John, actress Elizabeth Hurley and Dame Doreen Lawrence, campaigner and mother of murdered London teenager Stephen Lawrence. They all claim to be victims of “abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy”.

What the Mail is being accused of doing: The latest list of alleged crimes — shared by Harry’s lawyers at the London-based Hamlins firm — includes the recording of live phone calls, placing listening devices inside people’s cars and homes, and the use of private investigators to obtain information such as medical records. If proven true, the outcome is unknown – but it is worth bearing in mind that the original phone hacking scandal prompted the closure of the News of the World.

Prince Harry is clearly up for a fight. I understand that the fifth-in-line to the throne is “very aware” of how long and arduous this process could be, but is prepared to go the full distance – even if that may include taking to the stand and giving testimony. “There is a risk that this, like previous cases, could see retaliative press attacks against him and his family… but he sees a bigger cause here, one he hopes can bring positive change to the media landscape,” a source tells me. (A Sussex spokesperson and legal representative for the Duke of Sussex declined to comment.)

The Invisible Contract: News of Harry’s filing would have provided uncomfortable reading for King Charles, who recently hired a former Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday editor of 25 years to head up his media team, despite having no public relations experience. While there is no suggestion or allegation that Tobyn Andreae has been involved in any unlawful activities, his long-term stint at the publisher – which potentially covers the time of a number of the alleged crimes – could still prove problematic for the monarch.

Harry has wanted to sue the pants off everybody for a decade: But the prince’s latest legal action won’t have been a surprise to palace courtiers. I can recall several moments in the 2010s when aides actively dissuaded Harry from taking on certain British newspapers due to potential blowback that might be felt by other Royal Family members, including Camilla, now the Queen Consort.

Litigious Harry: Despite the risks, the Duke of Sussex clearly has no plans to slow down in his pursuit. Harry has taken on a number of publications in the past three years, including voicemail hacking cases against The Sun and Mirror owners in 2019, and more recently, libel action against Associated Newspapers relating to a Mail on Sunday article on his security arrangements. And he’s not alone. A group of eight led by actor Hugh Grant, and including David Beckham’s father and a 7/7 London bombings survivor, is currently seeing eight claims of phone hacking against The Sun making their way through the legal system. (A spokesperson says the publisher “has always maintained phone hacking did not take place on The Sun”.)

Harry is actually going to spend more time attacking the media, not his family: While it has long been (inaccurately) reported that a forthcoming Netflix docuseries and memoir will be the source of “attacks” against Royal Family members, the reality of both projects will actually see their harshest aims taken at the British press. Hardly a surprise given the role sections of the media have played throughout his life and relationships. But the fight, I was told earlier this year, extends far beyond Harry’s own experiences. The duke – who has previously spoken about the importance of “media freedom and objective, truthful reporting” – also hopes that his efforts will help the many ordinary people who have been targeted by newspapers over the years, often unknowingly.

[From Yahoo UK]

Scobie also points out that “coverage of the duke’s latest media confrontation has been predictably light,” which is true. It also shows you that there’s something there. If Harry was just throwing out ridiculous, unprovable accusations, we would have already seen a wall-to-wall effort to discredit him swiftly and thoroughly. The Mail is scared because Harry isn’t doing this alone, and because there’s merit to the lawsuits, AND because they don’t know what Harry knows. The Mail’s editors know what they did, but they don’t know if Harry knows the extent of it. Schrodinger’s Hacking (Or Schrodinger’s Bugging.)

I appreciate that Scobie is trying to separate the institution of the monarchy from the British media, but the relationship is symbiotic/parasitic – if Harry is trying to fundamentally change the British media’s business-as-usual operations, that is a direct threat to the monarchy (and vice versa). King Charles and Queen Camilla have spent decades carefully nurturing their relationships with the Mail and the Murdoch press. Same with William and Kate. It’s gotten to the point where Harry’s attacks on the British media are seen as an attack on the monarchy. Similarly, Harry’s attacks (“attacks”) on the monarchy are seen as an attack on the media. They act as one and the same because they are, in fact, one and the same.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

I’m genuinely obsessed with the trailer for M3GAN. It is looking camp in the eye! The memes are already fantastic! [Gawker]
Selena Gomez’s AppleTV documentary has a trailer. [OMG Blog]
Aubrey Plaza tries too hard to be unique. [Dlisted]
I also want to know what happened with Keanu Reeves and The Devil in the White City. Who will replace him? [LaineyGossip]
Nicole Ari Parker’s incredible Valentino. [RCFA]
I’m not so enamored with Jessica Chastain in this orange Mouret. [Go Fug Yourself]
Khloe Kardashian had a precancerous melanoma removed. [Just Jared]
Review of David O. Russell’s Amsterdam. [Pajiba]
Remember that guy who claimed Democrats put BLM and Biden tags on his house? Yeah, he faked the whole thing. [Buzzfeed]
Herschel Walker is disgusting. [Towleroad]
Cute cat accessories for your little fur monsters. [Egotastic]
The Republicans are still triggered by Joe Biden loving his son Hunter. [Jezebel]

Annabelle has 24 hours to respond to #M3GAN pic.twitter.com/LaWy2Fah80

— Freida Slaves (@cxrodge) October 11, 2022

M3GAN talking to chucky and annabelle pic.twitter.com/ue2MFmB0of

— wiLL (@willfulchaos) October 11, 2022

M3GAN Thee Stallion pic.twitter.com/q6l4zoS0zB

— Nelson Carvajal (@nelsoncarvajal) October 11, 2022

Last week, the rumor going around London was that King Charles III’s coronation was loosely scheduled for June 3. As it turns out, Charles didn’t want to wait that long and have his coronation bump up so close to Trooping the Colour. So now his coronation is officially scheduled for May 6… his grandson Archie’s fourth birthday.

Buckingham Palace announced via Twitter on Tuesday that King Charles III’s coronation date has officially been set.

“The Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey,” a statement on behalf of the royal family read. “The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort.”

Her Royal Highness, who was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch for 70 years, was just 27 when she received her coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Charles will be 74. His birthday is coming up in a few weeks on Nov. 14.

According to the royal family’s official website, representatives of the Houses of Parliament, Church and State, prime ministers, leading citizens from the Commonwealth and representatives of other countries are invited to attend the ceremony.

[From Page Six]

I originally thought it would be a Spring coronation, and my guess was mid-May. He’s going for early May, the first Saturday of May. I wonder if Archie’s birthday was a factor whatsoever? I doubt it – it probably didn’t enter Charles’s mind, nor did any of the courtiers double-check. Right? Or do we believe that Charles did this on purpose? I’ve already seen comments from some of the British commentators, suggesting that Harry and Meghan better not use Archie’s birthday as an “excuse” not to come to London. Weird vibes all around, honestly.

As for Queen Camilla, yes, she will be crowned alongside her husband. That has been Charles’s plan for years and years, and Queen Elizabeth only signed off on his Rottweiler scheme earlier this year, a lifetime ago.

Charles and Cam did an event in Aberdeenshire yesterday and I swear, I didn’t mean to laugh so hard at the horse photos.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

For a moment, I got scared that the group Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights has something to do with Robert Kennedy Jr., who is an anti-vaxxer nutjob. But no, this group is independent of RFK’s son. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights gives out awards in recognition of work on racial justice, social justice and human rights. Previous recipients of the RFK Ripple of Hope Award include Dark Brandon himself, Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, George Clooney, Dr. Fauci and Desmond Tutu. This year, the Ripple of Hope Award is being given to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have been named this year’s Ripple of Hope Award laureates in recognition of their work on racial justice, mental health, and other social impact initiatives through their Archewell Foundation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be honored alongside previously announced laureates Frank Baker, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siris, and Brian Moynihan, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of America, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“When The Duke and Duchess accepted our award laureate invitation back in March, we were thrilled. The couple has always stood out for their willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice and mental health around the world,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “They embody the type of moral courage that my father once called the ‘one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.’”

The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award has honored exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights.

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to building strong and equitable communities, advancing the global dialogue around mental health, and advocating for a better world – both on and offline. They co-founded Archewell Foundation in 2020 with a mission to uplift and unite communities. In a short time, they have done so in remarkable ways: from supporting Afghan refugees seeking resettlement to uplifting families in the United States in need of paid parental leave; investing in organizations working in Ukraine, to partnering with the NAACP to create the first-ever Digital Civil Rights Award; working with the World Health Organization, People’s Vaccine and Global Citizen to champion vaccine access globally, to raising funds to purchase doses for frontline health workers; among many other initiatives.

[From PR Newswire]

Something that makes me mad is that in the list of Harry and Meghan’s achievements, they aren’t being recognized for their early support of Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen. While Andres was already a humanitarian figure, being supported by Meghan, Harry and Archewell really raised the profile of WCK significantly, and Andres was able to raise so much money off of that.

Anyway, it’s well deserved and I’m glad Harry and Meghan are being recognized. By the Kennedy family (minus the anti-vaxxer). What’s funny is that Peggington is completely desperate to cozy up to the Kennedy family, meanwhile the best Kennedys (Kerry Kennedy, Maria Shriver) are publicly standing up for Harry & Meghan.

The Ripple of Hope Gala is scheduled for December 6th in New York. That same week, the Prince and Princess of Wales will be in Boston for Earthshot. LMAO!! Do you think Meghan and Harry will fly to New York for the gala? What a side-by-side image that would be – the Sussexed being fêted by Kennedys, Democrats and New York power brokers, all while Peg & Buttons preen and keen in cold-as-f–k Boston. Peggington is going to be so mad, he’ll demand Michael Bloomberg buy him a United Nations speaking slot!

I’m so delighted to announce that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are this year’s @rfkhumanrights #ROH
laureates in recognition of their work on racial justice, mental health and many social impact initiatives through the Archewell Foundation. https://t.co/8HDaSRwxYN pic.twitter.com/7puIyK4v06

— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) October 11, 2022

Photos courtesy of Misan Harriman, Avalon Red, Instar, Backgrid.

Remember when everyone on Salt Island was losing their collective hive-mind at the thought of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex doing a tacky “reality show,” which as it turns out, is just a docu-series which they’ve produced through their Archewell production company for their Netflix contract? Harry and Meghan are getting PAID to have final edit on their story. The Windsors wish they had that kind of deal. Instead, the Windsors are left with this kind of tacky reality show appearance – Mike Tindall will compete on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. His paycheck will be anywhere between £30k and £500k. Sad.

Mike Tindall has agreed to be the first royal on prime time reality TV, The Sun can reveal. The former England rugby ace will join next month’s I’m A Celebrity in the bug-infested Australian jungle.

Mike Tindall, 43, is married to the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips is the ITV show’s biggest signing. He will appear alongside stars including Boy George, comic Seann Walsh and DJ Chris Moyles.

Details of Mike’s deal remain a closely-guarded secret, but a source told The Sun: “It’s a massive coup. Mike has had a box seat for some of the most important moments in royal history for generations. He is sure to be discreet, but his sheer presence means this series will be an absolute must-watch.”

Mike, who lifted the 2003 World Cup with England, wed Zara in 2011. The couple have three children — Mia, eight, Lena, four, and Lucas, one. Mike has since become a key member of the royal inner-circle.

[From The Sun]

So what you’re saying is that Mike Tindall is profiting from his royal connections by being paid to do a tacky reality show? Fascinating. I mean, that’s what they’re leading with – the reporting isn’t leading with “former rugby player and podcaster.” They’re leading with “he’s a member of the royal family!” I thought that was impossible…? Yes, granted, Mike has never had a title and he’s always had his own private income streams. But he’s truly profiting from being part of the royal family, right?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Over the weekend, Tina Brown spoke at the Henley Literary Festival and she made a lot of news by talking sh-t about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She called them D-listers (Michael K is so proud!) who are poor compared to other celebrities and their $14 million mansion in the wealthy Montecito enclave is nothing but a humble shack. Brown suggested that Meghan is looking to trade up to… Elon Musk. It was all pretty disgusting, but it’s worth noting that Brown is a British woman Britsplaining America to a British audience. It’s become abundantly clear over the past five years that no one in the UK understands the American audience, American celebrity or American business/brand culture. Speaking of, Brown was at it again, this time at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Because she knows the best way to get attention is to mention those “D-listers” Meghan and Harry, Brown once again had some sh-t to say:

Meghan Markle needs to build her own brand that isn’t just based on her grievances if she wants to be a global business success, a royal expert has said. Asked how long-lasting the Sussex brand can be across the world now the couple are semi-outside the royal fold, ex-Vanity fair editor Tina Brown said Prince Harry, 38, would ‘always be royal’ as the son of King Charles and Princess Diana. She told the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday: ‘He will always have the iconic status that that has. He does have an identity, his Invictus [Games] has an authenticity and people relate to that.’

But she insisted that Harry’s wife, Meghan, 41, needed to find and focus on a cause of her own. She said: ‘I think Meghan does really need to find the thing she cares about the most and develop her own sort of brand that isn’t just a grievance brand, that is actually something we recognise as hers. It’s hard to find that and I think she hasn’t yet found that but I think she could if she rows back from the focusing always on what didn’t work.’

Brown, who was speaking to promote her latest book, The Palace Papers, said on stepping back as senior royals, the Sussexes hadn’t anticipated the challenges of life outside the palace operation.

‘The Sussexes didn’t realise how hard it was to create a rival platform. You’re essentially at the mercy of PRs who [specialise in making people look good]. The people who achieved it, the George Clooneys and the Oprahs, they are very good at it. It’s very difficult when you want to be above it. It’s much harder than it looks.’

Brown told the Cheltenham audience that ‘the jury is out’ in the USA over Harry and Meghan’s popularity.

‘Given that they’ve now staked their livelihoods on product, on entertainment, it’s going to be about what they do. Meghan’s first Spotify podcast about Serena Williams was very successful – she knocked America’s number one podcaster, Joe Rogan, off the top spot. She’s got a good podcasting voice. They have to prove themselves now in the gladiator arena of entertainment.’

Brown added that Harry’s book was ‘a huge mistake’ but that he was now under a lot of pressure to publish. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he feels [that it’s a mistake] but the truck has rolled along. It’s not just the advance. The publisher has a lot staked on it. I think it’s a huge problem for them. I feel really bad for him at the moment. If he doesn’t do the book I think it’s a real mess, business-wise and if he does do the book it will really alienate him from his family. No matter how bad things are, no one wants to be alienated from their family.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Meghan’s Archetypes is literally the top podcast on Spotify, and every Tuesday, hashtags about Archetypes are trending for hours, giving the pod millions in free publicity. Meghan’s using her pod to platform women’s voices exclusively and deconstruct gendered and racial stereotypes and dismantle patriarchy. It’s not a “grievance brand,” it’s a brand about women’s empowerment and women literally using their voices in society. Which is the same “brand” she had in the UK, only these f–king people robbed her of her voice and told her she couldn’t use her platform because it would make Kate cry lazy white tears.

As for Harry and Meghan “proving themselves” in the entertainment arena… insert Usher’s “watch this” GIF. Harry’s memoir is going to be a bestseller, and their Netflix docu-series will probably be the most-watched Netflix program… after The Crown Season 5. LMAO.

(Okay, so I just looked it up – currently Archetypes is #3 on this week’s Spotify charts, behind Kim Kardashian’s new pod and the Joe Rogan Experience. To be fair, this week’s episode was extremely heavy.)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I really cannot with Lily Collins’s shaggy bangs. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Janice Dickinson knows she looks like Caitlyn Jenner [Seriously OMG]
Heinous men are going on trial this fall. [Dlisted]
Gael Garcia Bernal forever. [LaineyGossip]
The final season of Derry Girls is here. [Pajiba]
Bella Hadid’s current relationship is so quiet. [JustJared]
Danielle Deadwyler looks gorgeous in archival Armani. [GFY]
A listicle of creepy & disturbing facts. [Buzzfeed]
Iran’s chief justice wants to have a dialogue with the protesters. [Towleroad]
Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix movie has an amnesia plot. [Egotastic]
Did Susan Winters’s husband poison her? [Starcasm]
What’s going on with Kathy Hilton & Kyle Richards? [Gawker]

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales were somewhat busy – for them – last week, making a visit to Northern Ireland, then both William and Kate had solo events. It felt like whatever is happening in their marriage, they’ve negotiated some on-camera couple time. That being said, well before the death of QEII, there had been a significant shift in their marriage. That was the whole reason why Kate and the children were being shuffled off to Windsor in the first place, and why it felt like William was going to be based at Kensington Palace. Throughout the year, they’ve been giving off “living separately” energy, complete with shared custody of the kids. Well, interestingly enough, it looks like this past weekend was not William’s weekend with the kids.

Prince William returned to Scotland to make a personal pilgrimage back to Balmoral for the first time since the funeral of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The Prince of Wales is thought to have spent a weekend at Craigowan Lodge, which was one of Her Majesty’s favourite boltholes on the Scottish estate and was used on less formal occasions, where he went deer stalking.

It would have been a bittersweet reunion for the first in line to the throne, who was last in Scotland just over a month ago as he rushed to be by the Queen’s side as she died on the 50,000-acre estate on September 8.

A source told the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden: ‘He stayed at Craigowan Lodge, where Her Majesty used to stay. He was there just for the weekend.’

By stalking deer the Prince follows in the footsteps of both his grandmother and his grandfather, Prince Philip, who introduced him and his brother Harry to it while they were boys. Deer stalking is the act of culling ageing stags that would otherwise die in the winter, with William shooting his first when he was 14 years old, something that is said to have left him delighted at the time. The activity, which has been a shared passion among generations of the Royal Family, was encouraged by William’s father King Charles III, while Princess Diana used to jokingly call him ‘my killer Wales’.

William is not thought to have been joined in Scotland by his wife Catherine, who is herself a keen markswoman, and their children. A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment.

[From The Daily Mail]

So a man leaves his wife and children at home for the weekend to go and stay at a Scottish hunting lodge… by himself? While those sources make a point of noting that Kate and the kids weren’t there, they aren’t saying he was there alone. I imagine Kate took the kids to Bucklebury and William brought a side chick. Which brings up something I’ve been wondering… in some ways, it will be much easier for William and Kate to hide their separate lives now, as Prince and Princess of Wales. In other ways, it will be more difficult, right? Because there’s even more focus on them. The British tabloids know a lot but they’re keeping quiet for the moment. I wonder when some of this stuff will start to come out.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Constance Wu has written a memoir/essay collection called Making a Scene. It’s about her life, her childhood in Richmond, VA, her career, representation for the Asian-American community, and it’s about how she attempted suicide several years ago after a social media pile-on in 2019. As we covered at the time, when Fresh Off the Boat was renewed for one more season, Wu threw a big tantrum about it on social media. The backlash against her was immediate and very harsh, so harsh that Wu attempted suicide and ended up checking into a mental health facility for treatment. To promote her book, Wu spoke to the New York Times about the entire ordeal and lots of other stuff, including how a senior production member on FOTB sexually harassed her. Some highlights from NYT:

The backlash to her Twitter tantrum: “I was so alone,” said Ms. Wu. She publicly apologized, but it wasn’t enough. Her tweets had become a story that began to feed on itself. She was shamed. People demanded atonement. While some wrote to see if she was OK, the silence from others was deafening. One night, upset and isolated, feeling unsupported by even her closest friends, she attempted to take her own life. Fortunately, a friend was there to save her. She spent the night in a psychiatric hospital, under supervision, until she was released the next day. “I was punished for being ungrateful… I’m glad I got through it. It took a long time. I was in therapy every day for a bit, under observation.”

She had a dramatic five-year falling out with her mother: “I didn’t know how to handle the public scrutiny and I took it out on my mom. Paranoia and anxiety made me say regretful things to her.”

Sexual harassment: In her book, Ms. Wu alleges that during her first year on “Fresh Off the Boat,” she was sexually harassed by a senior member of the production team. Naming him only by an initial, she writes that he controlled her, demanding that she run all her business matters past him and telling her what to wear. Ms. Wu put up with it. In the beginning, she tried to see him as her friend and protector. But she was also afraid of the consequences if she didn’t.

She didn’t understand what was happening: “‘Fresh Off the Boat’ was my first-ever TV show. I was thrown into this world. 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’s not trying to sound like the hero: “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.”

They couldn’t wait to tear her down: “When I spoke beautifully about representation, everyone loved it. But the second they had a chance to find a crack in my facade… It’s funny. It was almost gleeful. It was almost like they couldn’t wait to tear me down. I think the Asian community in Hollywood is still hyper-focused on positive representation, which to me is an illusion. Whole, human representation is more complex. And I think it’s interesting to me how, at that time, when I most could have used their help, they were the people who shamed me.”

[From The NY Times]

She talks about how she pushed back on her sexual harasser after a year, when she grew more comfortable with her place on a network show. Nothing happened to that guy, it seems, other than Wu telling him off and not speaking to him. That experience and other sh-tty experiences which came along with Fresh Off the Boat obviously influenced her sadness and resentment when the show was renewed for a season which no one expected, thus her Twitter tantrum. I think it’s fair to say: what Wu did was a big mistake, and a mistake which affected her career and her mental health and how people perceive her. We can also say: Jesus, what a huge public overreaction to one woman’s mistake.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.