John Mulaney is taking a stand for his family.
The comedian, 42, shared a powerful message via his Instagram Story on Wednesday, June 11, in defense of his wife, Olivia Munn, and their two children, Malcolm, 3, and Mei, 8 months.
“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. “Because of this, my wife and my two kids are now receiving violent and threatening comments and messages in her DMs.”
Mulaney continued to call out the “absolutely insane” trolling, insisting that it “needs to stop.” He noted that the people sending the alleged threats are “so wildly out of line and so unhelpful to any conversation” being had about what’s going on in the world.
“You took a nothing comment to a dark and dangerous place,” he concluded. “This kind of behavior isn’t activism.”
The statement came after Munn, 44, revealed in a recent interview that she isn’t a big fan of children’s TV shows, including the wildly popular Ms. Rachel series, telling People that the content drives her “crazy.” (The interview appears to no longer be available online.)
After facing backlash online, the actress issued an apology via her Instagram Story, noting that she “never anticipated” such a strong response to the subject.
“My comments were never meant to diminish the joy, comfort and impact she brings to so many families,” she wrote. “I don’t want something taken out of context to be a moment that steals even a minute of joy for anyone.”
The star of Ms. Rachel, for her part, was seemingly unfazed by the supposed diss. She shared multiple screenshots of headlines about Munn’s comment via Instagram on Monday, June 9, and attempted to redirect the conversation.
“WHO CARES?!” wrote Rachel Accurso. “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!!!”
Accurso — who began her Ms. Rachel YouTube career in 2019 and has become a vocal advocate for issues affecting children around the globe — emphasized that she has no problem with Munn’s opinion. “All my love to her and her family,” she wrote, adding that she was “disappointed” with the response online.
Following Mulaney’s statement, Accurso doubled down on her support for Munn. “Please be kind to Olivia & her precious family!” she wrote via Instagram on Thursday. “I don’t believe in hate, attacks or hurtful comments.”
The internet personality reiterated that there’s no “feud” between her and Munn, adding, “Her and I have been in touch and we are both choosing kindness.”
