Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu reveals rape hell saying trauma hit her ‘like a flood’ after sexual assault on date

CRAZY Rich Asians star Constance Wu has revealed she was raped on a date during the early stages of her career.

The actress, 40, described how the trauma of the incident hit her “like a flood” years later after she finished filming the comedy in 2018.

She detailed her conflicting emotions following the sexual assault in her upcoming memoir, Making a Scene.

The Hustlers star explained she was engulfed by confusion after the incident as it “wasn’t violent” and the man did not appear to be “threatening or shady”.

In an excerpt of her book obtained by Vanity Fair, Constance recalled her second date with an aspiring novelist from New York.

She said “it felt like I had been invited to the popular kids’ table,” when the “tall and broad-shouldered” man asked her out to dinner.

The 40-year-old noted that she had “ignored a twinge of warning in her gut” when he invited her back to his apartment to give her a gift.

She wrote: “I didn’t want to insult his friendly invitation by making him think I perceived a threat. So, I went upstairs.”

The wannabe writer then handed her a “beautifully wrapped” present and asked her not to open it until she got home.

Constance said she then kissed him to thank him for his sweet gesture, which then led to “some fooling around”.

The actress continued: “I let him take some of my clothes off and I let myself be touched. He felt me between my legs, and I shyly pushed him away, but he could feel my arousal.

“He smiled and got a condom from his nightstand. He took off his pants and started putting the condom on—an obvious signal for sex—which I did not want.

“So I said, ‘Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I’m not ready to have sex with you’.”

Despite her “clear” protests, she says her date “merely smiled, as if he knew better,” and continued to climb on top of her.

As he proceeded to kiss her, Constance again told the aspiring novelist she was not comfortable with having intercourse with him.

She said: “I repeated, as seriously as I could, ‘Really, I’m not ready for sex,’ my face flushing.

“He smiled at me again like I was a baby kitten, held me close, kissed me, gently moved my legs apart, and then he . . . did it anyway.

“I didn’t fight back. I just… gave up.”

She said she decided not to retaliate against the New Yorker as she “didn’t want to make a scene” and realised there was a risk he could become angry or violent.

“And since he was wearing a condom, I rationalized that it wasn’t that bad,” she added.

She hurriedly left the home and was left stunned when she opened her gift the following day with her roommate.

It was a box full of rose petals, pearl earrings, and a 20-page manuscript he had written called dedicated to “the beautiful Princess Warrior Constance Wu.”

Constance ignored the writer’s calls and texts in the following weeks and buried the trauma of the incident until over a decade later.

After wrapping up filming for Crazy Rich Asians she was travelling on a plane from Singapore when she realised she had been raped.

REALISATION

The 40-year-old explained: “‘I’d just woken up from a nap when the realization hit me like a flood. He raped me, and I hadn’t done anything about it.

“A strange sound involuntarily croaked out of my throat, almost a squawk. Embarrassed, I hoped no one on the plane heard me.

“My heart was pounding. For a split second, I panicked. But then I talked myself out of the panic.”

She grappled with her reasoning for not “realising it was rape sooner” but was doubtful anyone would believe her.

The actress believes that her success and self-confidence allowed the memory to resurface, after suffering “sexual harassment and intimidation” while starring in Fresh Off the Boat.

She concluded: “I did not consent to sex. Maybe it wasn’t violent, but it was rape. Period.”

Constance has penned her memoir Making a Scene, which will be released on October 4, during a career break.

She took time away from the spotlight after facing fierce backlash over tweets she posted in 2019.

The 40-year-old confessed trolling had caused her to attempt to take her own life and quit social media – but is now “dipping her toe back” in the online realm.