Actor John Mulaney is defending his wife, actor Olivia Munn, who has faced backlash over comments made about the educational videos from Rachel Accurso, who uses the name Ms. Rachel.
In an interview with People, which has since been removed from the outlet's site, Munn said she struggled to watch the videos.
"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," Munn said, according to Entertainment Weekly. "These kid shows drive me crazy."
She added that their 3-year-old son, Malcolm Mulaney, requested certain songs that drove Munn up the wall.
"Malcolm asked for 'Blue's Clues' and I don't know who showed him 'Blue's Clues,' but they are on my s--- list now. I said, 'Hell no. Not in my house.'"
Her comments sparked outrage, prompting Mulaney to release a statement on Instagram.
"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 Wednesday. "Because of this, my wife and my two kids are now receiving violent and threatening comments and messages in her DMs. 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."
After dating since May 2021, Mulaney and Munn tied the knot in July 2024. They have two children together: Malcolm Mulaney and a daughter named MĂ©i Mulaney, who was born in September.
Amid the backlash, Munn released a statement explaining her remarks.
"To Ms. Rachel and her fans, I hear and respect the passion behind your support. I never anticipated the media would single out one small thing I said and distort it like they have," she said. "My comments were never meant to diminish the joy, comfort, and impact she 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."
Accurso weighed in on the ordeal on Instagram earlier this week by shrugging off Munn's remarks.
"WHO CARES?!" she wrote under photos of news stories about Munn's words. "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!!!"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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