John Mulaney says wife Olivia Munn’s cancer treatment has left her 'so dumb'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: John Mulaney shared a personal story about his wife Olivia Munn’s battle with cancer joking about the impact it had on her.
The comedian included Munn’s 2023 cancer diagnosis, which she revealed in 2024, in his new Netflix special, 'Everybody's Live with John Mulaney'.
John Mulaney says Olivia Munn’s ‘fight’ has been ‘so inspiring’
Speaking to the audience, John Mulaney initially shared his gratitude for the support they had received.
“I did want to say something: Over the past few months, many people have reached out in a very nice way about my wife Olivia, who’s been battling breast cancer," he said.
"I really appreciate all the nice messages that obviously she has received and that even I have received,” he added.
He described Munn’s journey, saying, “But it’s been a real thing to be with someone you love so much going through this."
"In the past couple years, Olivia has had five surgeries, months and months of cancer treatment, and the fight that she’s put up has made her so inspiring,” Mulaney said, according to Buzz Feed.
John Mulaney describes Olivia Munn's ‘cancer brain’ as ‘sweet, wonderful dumbness’
John Mulaney then made a joke about the cognitive effects of cancer treatment. “And the effect of cancer treatment on her brain has made her, at times, so dumb,” he said.
“There’s a thing called cancer brain: not brain cancer. Cancer brain. It’s a sweet, wonderful dumbness that happens after all that challenging treatment,” Mulaney added.
Providing an example, Mulaney shared an exchange they had at a fertility clinic. “We went to a fertility doctor, we were going to make embryos. This was after Olivia had a double mastectomy, but before her hysterectomy and ovariectomy," he said.
"We were going to make embryos for what eventually became our daughter this fall,” he continued.
John Mulaney recalls Olivia Munn’s reaction at fertility clinic
John Mulaney recounted their conversation with the doctor, saying, “We were standing in the doctor’s office and this conversation happened word for word."
"Doctor: ‘The great news is nine eggs survived the thaw.’ Olivia: ‘So now, we uh, combine it with his, uh, c*m?’” Mulaney recalled correcting her, saying, “Baby, baby. It’s semen,” while the doctor added: “Guys, it’s sperm.”
Munn, 44, revealed her diagnosis in 2023 after a biopsy detected aggressive breast cancer. Since then, she has undergone multiple surgeries, including a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, and ovariectomy.
Munn told Vogue in May 2024, “I took out my uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries."
"Doing a full hysterectomy was a big decision to make, but it was the best decision for me because I needed to be present for my family," she said.
The couple, who married in July 2023, welcomed their second child, daughter Mei, via surrogate in September.
