The Tragic Truth About Olivia Munn
The following article includes mention of sexual assault.
In 2007, Olivia Munn made her acting debut in Bob Schneider's comedy flick "Big Stan." Following that, she landed even more acting roles, soon earning the respect of several Hollywood legends, including her "Iron Man 2" co-star Robert Downey Jr. "One day I was doing a lot [of improvising] and [I kept] coming up with other stuff, and at one point Robert just goes 'Can we just stop for a second? Can we give Olivia a round of applause? Because she is rocking it right now,'" Munn recounted during a 2010 interview with Carson Daly (via MTV News).
In no time, Munn began appearing in even bigger projects, including 2012's "The Newsroom" and Marvel's "X-Men Apocalypse," a film she admittedly had a lot of fun doing. "It really doesn't feel real. It's a very cliche thing to say, but it's just a really surreal thing when you're on set," she gushed to Entertainment Weekly in 2015. However, despite her fast-rising career in Hollywood, Munn's personal life has not all been rosy.
After news of her relationship with John Mulaney went public in 2021, Munn was met with criticism from those who accused her of breaking up the actor's marriage to his ex-wife Anna Tendler. "I actually dont think john mulaney is a bad person for having an affair and accidentally getting [her] pregnant. i think hes a bad person bc [sic] it was olivia munn," one person wrote on X. In addition to the constant social media backlash, there has been much more tragedy in Olivia Munn's life.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer
In March 2023, Olivia Munn revealed she underwent a double mastectomy after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. "In the past ten months, I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count, and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined. Surprisingly, I've only cried twice," she wrote in part in a statement shared on Instagram.
Despite testing negatively for 90 different cancer genes, doctors discovered Munn's diagnosis after carrying out a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score and ordering a biopsy. The biopsy, according to Munn, showed she had Luminal B cancer in her two breasts. "I'm lucky we caught it with enough time that I had options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day," the "Violet" star added.
In her statement, Munn thanked loved ones, including her long-time partner John Mulaney, with whom she shares a son, Malcolm. "I'm so thankful to John for the nights he spent researching what every operation and medication meant and what side effects and recovery I could expect," she wrote. The "Buddy Games" actor also thanked Mulaney for being by her side through every surgery and placing photos of their son in her hospital room.
She experienced sexual assault in Hollywood
In her 2010 collection of essays, "Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek," Olivia Munn wrote about being sexually harassed by a movie director whose name she kept undisclosed. Brett Ratner later revealed himself as the director in Munn's book. During an appearance on G4's "Attack of the Show," Ratner claimed to have slept with her numerous times, adding that he used to date her. In a later appearance on the "Howard Stern Radio Show," however, Ratner walked back his claims while apologizing for sexualizing Munn. "She's actually talented. The problem is I made her look like she's a whore," the "Tower Heist" director admitted (via SheKnows).
Seven years later, Munn revisited the harassment, this time detailing to the Los Angeles Times how Ratner masturbated in front of her. "He walked out ... with his belly sticking out, no pants on, shrimp cocktail in one hand, and he was furiously masturbating in the other," she recounted to the outlet. Before the star could leave the trailer, Ratner had ejaculated, leaving her shocked and disgusted.
Beyond the psychological impact of the harassment, however, Munn's decision to speak up took a toll on her physical health. After breaking out in a rash, doctors concluded it was stress-induced. "One of the things that stresses me out more than anything is how do we do right by [the silence breakers]?" she questioned in an interview with Women's Health.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Olivia Munn's postpartum struggles
In November 2021, Olivia Munn welcomed her son Malcolm with her long-time partner, John Mulaney. "Meet Malcolm Hiệp Mulaney. He has his whole life ahead of him. He hasn't even tried seltzer yet. I'm very in love with him and his whole deal," Mulaney gushed in an Instagram post debuting him on social media. Unsurprisingly, Munn has fully embraced motherhood, often taking to social media to gush over her little one. "You are the absolute joy of my life. I can't believe I get to be your mama," the former television host captioned a tribute celebrating Malcolm on his 2nd birthday.
But while it is one of Munn's biggest blessings, motherhood has also presented its unique set of challenges for her. In March 2022, the "Deliver Us From Evil" star opened up about navigating motherhood, admitting that childbirth left her with some adverse side effects. "My hips still feel wonky from pushing out a human being, my postpartum anxiety is still here (and horrible), but I got myself up and took my first capoeira lesson today," Munn wrote on her Insta story at the time.
The following month, Munn took to social media to share another of her postpartum struggles: hair loss. Responding to a fan who jokingly asked to have Munn's hair, the "Date Night" star quipped, "Ummm it's falling out in clumps postpartum. I'll let you have it once I can grow it back and give it to you in better condition."
She was accused of causing a rift in her ex's family
In 2014, Olivia Munn started dating NFL star Aaron Rodgers. During their relationship, Munn proved herself a solid support as she constantly cheered Rodgers on. "So proud of this team. They faced a lot of adversity on and off the field but battled to get this far. Thank you to those of you who encouraged and supported them by choosing to put out only positive energy. It helped them get this far," Munn wrote back in support of the Green Bay Packers back in 2017 (via People). Sadly, three years later, Munn and Rodgers broke up, though it was reported they were on good terms.
Despite their 'amicable' split, though, Munn's life after Rodgers continued to be plagued by rumors claiming she had caused a feud between the athlete and his family. "His family told him they didn't trust her and thought she wasn't with him for the right reasons. That made him furious, and he ended up choosing Olivia over his family," a source told US Weekly in 2017.
During an appearance on Andy Cohen's Sirius XM show, Munn denied the allegations, noting that Rodgers' estrangement from his family had nothing to do with her. "I just think it's really important to try to mend things in a family. And I encourage that. But at the end of the day, I do believe that family and fame and success can be really complicated if their dreams are connected to your success," she added (via USA Today).
She was bullied as a child
Due to her stepfather's work in the military, Olivia Munn and her family moved around a lot in her childhood. With frequent school transfers, the "Office Christmas Party" star was often alienated from her peers, eventually giving way for her to be bullied. "I moved around a lot as a kid. I was in a military family, and I was always the new kid, and so one of the hardest things as a kid, I think, is finding a group to hang out with and have lunch with, and that starts pretty early on," Munn explained during a 2017 press conference for her film ""The LEGO Ninjago Movie,"(via UPI).
As she grew older, Munn wrestled with her self-esteem and soon started aspiring to be popular and cool. "You want to just be liked by people, then you want to be liked by the popular kids, and then, 'I want that really cool pencil case.' And, 'I want that backpack.' And we didn't grow up with a lot of money," she said. "I was becoming envious and feeling very alone," she recounted.
Eventually, though, the "Love Wedding Repeat" actor stopped comparing her life with others and learned to accept herself. Munn admits this helped her embrace living life on her own terms without trying to fit in.