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Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer John Mulaney, 42, spoke out in defense of his wife and actress Olivia Munn, 44, in the wake of her remarks about YouTuber Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso.
In an interview published on June 8, Olivia told PEOPLE that she doesn’t allow his children, Malcolm, 3 years, and Mei, 8 months, to watch Ms. Rachel’s kid-friendly content.
“I know kids love [Ms. Rachel], 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... Malcolm asked for Blue's Clues [recently], and I don't know who showed him Blue's Clues, but they are on my sh*t list now. I said, ‘Hell no. Not in my house,” Munn told the outlet.
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Meanwhile, Ms. Rachel responded by taking to PEOPLE’s Instagram account and commenting under Olivia Munn’s story feature:
Father and daughter come together to create Apple's cutest show HERE
“I’d rather you cover my advocacy for kids in Gaza.”
She later replicated the comment on the Parents’ Instagram repost of the article. Ever since then, Olivia Munn and her family have seemingly received threats, according to her husband John Mulaney’s June 11 Instagram Story.
“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.
Munn also replied to the backlash she'd been receiving for her parenting style on her IG Story on Tuesday. Addressing Ms. Rachel and her fans, she wrote, “I hear and respect the passion behind your support.” Munn added that she “never anticipated the media would single out one small thing I said and distort it like they have.”
Notably, PEOPLE has taken down Olivia Munn’s interview in the wake of the controversy. However, the publication has not cited any official reason for the same.
More about John Mulaney’s defense of Olivia Munn amid her Ms. Rachel remarks
According to John Mulaney’s Instagram Story from Wednesday, his wife and their two children were “receiving violent and threatening comments and messages,” reportedly sent to Olivia Munn’s DMs, in the wake of her Ms. Rachel remarks.
“This is absolutely insane and needs to stop. 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,” Mulaney wrote.
Two days before the comedian’s IG Story, Ms. Rachel clarified that her Gaza remarks were not directed at Olivia Munn or her kids but rather media houses who initiated such conversations. In a June 9 Instagram post, the YouTuber shared screenshots of her comments and wrote in the caption:
“***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.”
Ms. Rachel, who has been constantly calling for humanitarian aid to be sent to kids in Gaza, doubled down on her previous remarks and added,
“WHO CARES?! I’d rather you cover me advocating for kids in Gaza who are literally starving, the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, thousands & thousands killed - no medical care, no education, no homes… do better!!!”
Meanwhile, Olivia Munn, too, came up with a response of her own, ahead of her husband, via an Instagram Story on June 10. She wrote never anticipating that her interview comments would be “taken out of context” and have such an unusual effect.
The Newsroom alum explained that the remarks were “never meant to diminish the joy, comfort, and impact” Ms. Rachel “brings to so many families.”
“Every parent understands the importance of finding meaningful programming that helps us connect with our kids. I don’t want something taken out of context to be a moment that steals even a minute of joy for anyone,” the Oklahoma native wrote.
Olivia Munn and John Mulaney began dating in 2021. Their son Malcolm was born in November of that year. The couple tied the knot in July 2024, and in September, their daughter Mei was born via surrogacy.
