The drastic and sudden change brought upon by COVID-19 was a curveball that most could not gracefully swing. Thousands lost their lives, jobs, and businesses while mental health, physical health, and quality of education declined. While it’s safe to say that this past year has been disorienting and chaotic, notable comedian John Mulaney seems to have been hit harder by COVID than most. Mulaney, who initially gained attention as a Saturday Night Live writer, is well known for his work as a stand up comedian and a writer for various television projects. He has previously taken on six stand up comedy specials, including one he is completing currently and one where he collaborated with close friend and fellow comedian, Pete Davidson.
Professional life aside, Mulaney has had a surreal pandemic experience. Within the span of a year, the former cocaine addict checked himself into a drug rehabilitation center for alcoholism, cocaine addiction, and prescription drug abuse on two separate occasions. During the same time period, he divorced his wife of seven years, Anna Marie Tendler, and began to date actress Olivia Munn, with whom he is now expecting a child. Shortly afterward, Mulaney joined Late Night with Seth Meyers as a staff writer and began a new comedy tour based on his recent substance abuse and recovery.
As he welcomes a child with his new girlfriend and progresses his comedy tour soon after rehabilitation and divorce, fans are chattering about Mulaney’s “comeback”. Although feelings from his fans have been overwhelmingly positive, many are also questioning whether this will truly be a “comeback.”
Those who are well invested in Mulaney’s career are familiar with his ex-wife and their French bulldog, Petunia. The couple was public, often associated with the term “couple goals”. Mulaney spoke about his relationship frequently explaining how harmonious things were. Therefore, hearing that Mulaney not only filed for divorce but also began a new relationship fairly soon afterward was quite a shock to his fans. Additionally, Mulaney and Tendler had been adamant about not having children. They consistently stated that they did not intend to have children, and that they were content with only having Petunia to look after. Yet now, Munn and Mulaney are expecting their first child together. Mulaney’s recent major and unexpected life changes have raised alarm among his fans and the general public. Will his new relationship last? Is this relationship what Mulaney truly wants? When did he begin to consider having children?
Another aspect of Mulaney’s life that some have identified as a red flag is the extensive life changes he has experienced amidst a recent substance abuse relapse. The comedian has been open about his struggles with substance abuse for many years, often incorporating it into his comedy shows and jokes. He began abusing substances from a young age and previously stated that he began drinking when he was 13. From there, he began taking various other substances that eventually led him to his cocaine addiction. This addiction progressed throughout high school and into college, but in 2005, a year or so after graduating, Mulaney became sober and had maintained sobriety until this year. Mulaney was released from rehab for the second time in February 2021, yet began performing comedy shows and reportedly started dating Olivia Munn only three months later. Fans are worried that he is moving too fast and are wondering whether he gave himself enough time to stabilize and regroup after returning from rehab. Will Mulaney regret any of his recent decisions? Will he burn out? Is Mulaney ready to return?
Fans could ask themselves a never ending number of these sorts of questions regarding the self-proclaimed comedian without reaching any sort of conclusion. Unfortunately for us fans, no amount of analysis or research will be able to forecast Mulaney’s future in relation to this past year. There are already rumors circulating that Mulaney and Munn have broken up, which have emerged about a month after their pregnancy announcement. We can only wait for Mulaney to show us whether we should continue to be concerned about him, and in the meantime, we can celebrate his successful recovery, and his return to the public eye thus far.