The Internet is Extremely Invested in John Mulaney's Personal Life Right Now

Anna Grace Lee
·4 min read
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images
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If there's one name you likely saw on your social media timelines this week, or perhaps overheard IRL, it's John Mulaney. I know I've thought about the beloved comedian more this week than perhaps any other week in my life, and I (along with what seems like all of the internet) have been thinking: Wow, who knew I was that invested in John Mulaney's personal life? Mulaney returned to the stage this week for a weeklong set at City Winery in New York titled, "From Scratch," in which he touches on his recent experience in rehab and recovery. (Esquire's Summer cover star Chris Rock reportedly opened for him one of the nights.) The broader implication of the set, according to Vulture's Jesse David Fox, is that Mulaney—like all of us—is trying to figure out who he is after the pandemic.

Right now, Mulaney is a recurring character in the tabloids. That's remarkable, because Mulaney is a popular comedian with a loyal fanbase—he's big enough to sell out Radio City music hall, host SNL multiple times, and appear on the cover of Esquire—but he's not on the order of Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld. Yet that seems to be his trajectory. And having your personal life splashed across the pages of the New York Post, an institution Mulaney previously joked about in his 2012 comedy special "New in Town" ("reading the New York Post is like talking to someone who heard the news and now they're trying to give you the gist"), is part of that assent. For better or worse.

On December 21, 2020, the Post's Page Six first reported that Mulaney had checked himself into rehab for cocaine and alcohol addiction. Then, in late February, Page Six said Mulaney had completed 60 days in a Pennsylvania rehab facility and was continuing his recovery as an outpatient. He was reportedly "doing well." Mulaney shared details about the roots of his addiction in a 2019 Esquire cover story. Jonah Weiner writes:

He spent the entirety of his teens and the early part of his twenties as an addict, spiraling out of control. He began drinking at thirteen—initially, he says, to deal with the awkwardness of adolescence, and then to excess, because “alcohol is addictive,” he says, and he didn’t want to stop. “I drank for attention,” he tells me. “I was really outgoing, and then at twelve, I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to act. And then I was drinking, and I was hilarious again.” Drugs soon followed. “I never liked smoking pot. Then I tried cocaine, and I loved it. I wasn’t a good athlete, so maybe it was some young male thing of This is the physical feat I can do. Three Vicodin and a tequila and I’m still standing. Who’s the athlete now?” When Mulaney was a teenager, his parents sent him to a psychiatrist, who told him that he was one part nice kid, one part “gorilla that wants to kill the other half.”

Throughout his late teens and early twenties, Mulaney struggled with routine blackouts from his drinking and drug use. "I was like, you're fucking out of control. And I thought to myself, I don't like this guy anymore," Mulaney said at the time. At 23, he went sober, cold-turkey, without the use of a program. Knowing this history, it was good to hear that Mulaney had successfully completed his rehab program.

But there was more news to come about Mulaney.

On Monday, Page Six broke the news that Mulaney and his wife, Anna Marie Tendler, were divorcing after seven years of marriage and parenting their extremely cute French bulldog, Petunia Tender-Mulaney. Through a spokesperson, Tendler said: “I am heartbroken that John has decided to end our marriage," adding, "I wish him support and success as he continues his recovery.”

Call it fandom, call it a prime example of parasocial relationships, but many online were gutted to hear about the couple's divorce. Mulaney is known for his autobiographical comedy, making his fans feel like they know him, and feel personally invested in his life. Then, as if the divorce news wasn't enough to process, on Thursday, People reported that a "source close to the couple" (aren't they always) shared that Mulaney is now dating Olivia Munn. It's a PR rollercoaster aptly summed up by this tweet:

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It's important to remember that rumors are rumors. We don't really know the timeline of events, or if this is even true. Here's what's for sure: we hope Mulaney is doing well. If his new material is any indication, it seems he's working things out as best as he can.

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