John Mulaney is speaking out against the hostile critics who unleashed “violent” threats toward his wife, Olivia Munn, following her viral remarks about children’s programming and YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel.
“An innocent comment my wife Olivia Munn made about what children’s programs we like has somehow — unbelievably — been conflated with not caring about the deaths of children in Gaza,” he wrote in an Instagram Story Wednesday.
The stand-up comic expressed his outrage over the aggressive threats that have been targeting Munn and their two young children, Malcolm and Méi.
“Because of this, my wife and my two kids are now receiving violent and threatening comments and messages in her DMs,” Mulaney continued. “This is absolutely insane and needs to stop.”
Mulaney, who exchanged vows with Munn in 2024, blasted internet critics for transforming an innocuous comment into something sinister and dangerous.
He added, “The people doing this are so wildly out of line and so unhelpful to any conversation. You took a nothing comment to a dark and dangerous place. This kind of behavior isn’t activism.”
In a People magazine interview from June 8, Munn had casually mentioned that “these kids shows are driving me crazy,” which sparked immediate backlash online.
“I know kids love [Ms. Rachel],” the actress said in the interview, which appears to have been removed from the outlet’s site. “But the thing is, if I can’t watch it, I’m not going to spend the rest of my life going crazy. These kid shows drive me crazy.”
People published an editorial note explaining the article’s removal: “On June 11, we took the unusual step of removing the post titled ‘Olivia Munn Doesn’t Let Her Kids Watch Ms. Rachel. Here’s Why,’ due to the violent threats that escalated towards the interview subject and her family. There is no excuse for these abhorrent attacks, and we will always prioritize safety above all else.”
Munn’s remarks prompted Ms. Rachel herself (Rachel Griffin-Accurso) to respond to the controversy.
“WHO CARES?! I’d rather you cover me advocating for kids in Gaza who are literally starving, largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, thousands & thousands killed – no medical care, no education, no homes… do better!!!” she wrote in an Instagram post alongside snapshots of news stories about Munn’s statement.
The children’s content creator later clarified her stance: “Not against her at all and don’t care that she doesn’t want to watch the show — all my love to her and her family — disappointed in the outlets,” she added.
Meanwhile, Munn has addressed the backlash and issued an apology.
Taking to her Instagram Story, Munn addressed the controversy with a heartfelt message, as reported by Buzzfeed. “To Ms. Rachel and her supporters, I deeply understand and respect your passionate response. The media’s distortion of one small comment I made wasn’t something I anticipated,” she began.
Munn emphasized that her “remarks were never intended to diminish the joy, comfort, and positive impact she brings to countless families.”
She further expressed: “As a parent, I completely understand how vital it is to find meaningful content that helps us bond with our children. I wouldn’t want a misinterpreted comment to take away even a moment of joy from anyone.”
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