Constance Wu blames media-baiting for Hustlers 'diva' claims

Constance Wu has denied she requested top billing for movie Hustlers and accused the media of pitting women against one another.

Back in July, it was reported that the actress insisted on being listed as the first name in the posters and trailers for the upcoming flick, which centres on a group of strippers who join forces to rob their rich broker clients.
But Wu, who appears alongside Jennifer Lopez, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Cardi B and Lizzo in the movie, told The Guardian the reports were entirely false.

“I wasn’t demanding anything,” she sighed. “The reason that happened was because people on the team were calling journalists because they were not putting me in (their stories about the film). It wasn’t anything I asked them to do.”

The Crazy Rich Asians star went on to suggest she expected backlash surrounding the movie because people are intimidated by strong women.

“People stereotyping us separates us, and when we are not unified it helps the patriarchy stay in power, right?" the 37-year-old star explained. "If you’re at a board meeting and there’s only one seat for a woman and all the other seats are for men, it’s not about being a woman - if you think there’s only one seat, it’s going to be competitive."

However, she insisted there was no in-fighting on set because the movie is all about women empowering women, adding: "Nobody was fighting about the one seat at the table. It was our table.

"The men in the movie barely have names. It wasn’t written to be their story and that happens to women all the time, where there are no female characters of substance," Wu reflected. "I really think that is why patriarchy tries to separate us because they know that when we’re together there is nothing more strong and beautiful.”

Hustlers is set to hit cinemas later this week.