John Mulaney Shares How He and Olivia Munn Navigated "Scary Moments"

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John Mulaney on His “Wild and Joyful” Relationship With Olivia Munn & Their Two Kids! (Exclusive)

As John Mulaney and Olivia Munn now know, laughter is the best medicine.

Since the comedian and the Newsroom alum first started dating in 2021, they’ve had a whirlwind several years together, including getting married, having two children—son Malcolm, 3, and daughter Méi, 2 months—and Olivia battling breast cancer. And through it all, their bond has only grown stronger. 

"We found ourselves in a pretty wild and a pretty joyful situation," John exclusively told E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi at GQ's Men of the Year party Nov. 14. "So we've had a really eventful, amazing couple years with a lot of you know, dealing with Olivia's cancer and a lot of tight and scary moments sometimes."

"But we were talking the other day that, like in the past couple years, we've laughed so much through everything," he continued. "So I don't mean to sound corny or overly saccharine, but it's just been really...we've been so tight and had a lot of fun, despite everything." (For more with John, tune into E! News Monday, Nov. 18 at 11 p.m.)

The 42-year-old also recalled the moment that he and Olivia found out that he was going to be honored as one of GQ's Men of the Year for 2024.

"She was so psyched," he shared. "We were both thrilled. Yeah, she's always in my corner, and she was so excited. We were in a driveway together, making sure our son didn't run into a parking lot when I got the news. It was very cool."

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The couple hasn't been shy about detailing the unusual early stages of their relationship, with Olivia recently saying that their status as a couple "wasn’t anything close to ‘dating'" when she first got pregnant.

"I barely knew him," she told GQ. "It wasn’t necessarily ‘We’re going to be married and live together’ or any of that, but it was ‘I will be involved in some way.’"

Olivia, 44, and John officially became a couple six months into her pregnancy while they were living on opposite coasts—she was in LA, he was in New York—which came as the Everybody's In LA star was still finding his footing after a months-long stay in rehab for addiction.

"It was like watching a man in a tsunami,” the actress explained. “I was watching someone newly sober, at the edge of a cliff, and I didn’t know him well enough to help him."

"In my head, I’m thinking, 'I don’t know really what’s happening with this guy. It feels pretty shaky,'” she continued. “But then I would see him at the Troubadour and be like, ‘Man, he’s on fire. He’s just that phenomenal.'"

Keep reading for more about John and Olivia's romance.

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Sept. 1, 2013: First Meeting

Olivia and John met at mutual friend Seth Meyers' wedding to Alexi Ashe in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

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Wanna Hang?

In a January 2015 HuffPost Live interview, which took place more than six months after she began dating Aaron Rodgers, Olivia recalled being at a wedding with John and his then-fiancée, Anna Marie Tendler, saying, "and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, do you and your fiancèe want to go have dinner or something and go hang out?" (John and Anna wed in 2014.)

Olivia also said she kept approaching him at the wedding, adding, "I was just so obsessed with hanging out with and talking with him."

The actress said she later sent John an email but that he did not reply. "I might've got the wrong email—probably," she told HuffPost Live. "That's what I tell myself."

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September 2020: John Enters Rehab

"I went to rehab in September [2020]," John said on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Sept. 7, 2021. "I got out in October."

John had told Esquire in 2019 that he gave up cocaine and alcohol in 2005 and had remained sober ever since.

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October 2020: John Moves Out

John revealed on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Sept. 7, 2021 that in October 2020, he'd moved out of the home he shared with wife Anna.

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October - December 2020: Relapse, Intervention and More Rehab

On the Sept. 7, 2021 episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers, John says that in November 2020, "I relapse on drugs" and "then I continued using drugs." He recalls how Seth Meyers "and some other friends staged an intervention."

In December 2020, John checks into rehab again for cocaine addiction. Many celebs, including Olivia, share supportive messages to the comedian on social media.

The actress tweeted, "Sending SO MUCH love and support to John Mulaney. You got this," adding a heart and lightning bolt emoji.

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February 2021: John's Rehab Stay Ends

John completed 60 days in rehab and moved into a sober living facility for another month and a half. The comic also returned to standup comedy.

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May 2021: John Mulaney and Wife Announce Split

John and wife Anna Marie Tendler announced that they had broken up after six years of marriage.

"I am heartbroken that John has decided to end our marriage," she said through her spokesperson to Page Six. "I wish him support and success as he continues his recovery."

The comedian's rep said in a statement, "John will not have any further comment as he continues to focus on his recovery and getting back to work."

Two months later, John filed for divorce.

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May 2021: A New Romance

Soon after John and wife Anna Marie Tendler announced their breakup, E! News confirmed that he and Olivia had begun seeing each other.

"In the spring I went to Los Angeles and met and started to date a wonderful woman named Olivia, Olivia Munn," John said on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Sept. 7, 2021. "She got to date me right out of recovery, which is what they call a reverse catch."

He added, "It is a very, very lucky thing to have met this woman. It's been a challenging time. I got into this relationship that's been really beautiful with someone incredible who has like, dealt with the non-coked up Bambi version of me and that's been very incredible and she's kind of held my hand through that hell."

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June 2021: Lunch Date

Olivia and John were photographed together for the first time, having lunch outdoors on Saturday afternoon at Rick's Drive In & Out, a hamburger eatery in Los Angeles.

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September 2021: Is That a...?

On Sept. 4, 2021, Olivia was photographed wearing a baggy sweatshirt while walking in a parking garage in Los Angeles, fueling pregnancy rumors.

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September 2021: Pregnancy Confirmed

On the Sept. 7, 2021 episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers, John confirmed Olivia's pregnancy. "We are having a baby, together," he said. "I'm going to be a dad. We're both really, really happy."

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Sepember 2021: Stepping Out as a Couple

The two are spotted in NYC three days after John confirmed his relationship with Olivia and her pregnancy. Olivia sported a "Noelle Jumpsuit" from HATCH. 

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November 2021: It's a Boy!

Olivia reportedly gave birth on Nov. 24. She and John shared the first photo of their son on Christmas Eve.

"Meet Malcolm Hiệp Mulaney," the comedian wrote. "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. Happy Holidays."

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January 2022: Family Fun Day

Olivia shared this photo of herself with John, baby Malcolm and friends Henry Golding, his wife Liv Lo and their daughter Lyla.

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February 2022: SNL After-Party

The two celebrate with the Saturday Night Live cast after John's fifth time hosting the show, during which he was officially inducted into the Five-Timer's Club."

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