Wu married Michelle Maxine Wu in 1996 and they have two children. In December 2009, he filed for separation from his wife, citing irreconcilable differences.[7]
Three weeks prior to the 2004 elections, The Oregonian published an article reporting that Wu had been accused of sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend while attending Stanford.[8] Stanford made Wu attend counseling and was disciplined by the university in 1976.[9] Criminal charges were never filed, but the story prompted Wu to hold a press conference apologizing for "inexcusable behavior".[10]
In February 2011, Willamette Week[11] and later The Oregonian reported that in the runup to the November 2010 election, Wu began behaving erratically and that staffers "demanded he enter a hospital for psychiatric treatment."[12] The erratic behavior that triggered the staff's departure was reported to be no single incident but rather a pattern of behavior that included Wu's emailing his staff photos of himself in a tiger suit.[13]
After Wu won re-election, at least six of his staffers left, including his longtime chief of staff and his communications director.[14] In a statement, Wu acknowledged he has sought "professional medical care" and attributed the problems to the stress of being a single father, the death of his father, and his political campaign.[12] The Oregonian has reported that a campaign contributor gave Wu a prescription painkiller, identified by the staffer present as oxycodone to help alleviate an episode of severe neck pain.[15] Willamette Week quoted the donor as saying the pills were ibuprofen.[16] Wu has admitted taking the painkiller, saying that it was an act of bad judgment, but claiming that he does not know what it was.[17]
On July 22, 2011, The Oregonian reported that a teenager accused Wu of an aggressive, unwanted sexual encounter. The teenager is the daughter of a longtime friend and campaign donor. Wu admitted the encounter, but said it was consensual.[18]