John Mulaney And Olivia Munn Rumored To Be Dating — Why People Are Concerned
Is it too much too soon?
Kathy Hutchins / Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com In one of the most surprising turns of events in celebrity dating history since last week’s Bennifer reunion, people are speculating that comedian John Mulaney and actress Olivia Munn may be dating.
Munn and Mulaney’s rumored new relationship comes just days after the comedian announced he is divorcing Anna Marie Tendler after almost seven years of marriage.
Mulaney’s official statement on his separation pointed to his desire to focus on his recovery from addiction. However, if the rumors are true, Mulaney will also be spending time on a new love interest.
Are Olivia Munn and John Mulaney dating?
Sources revealed that Munn and Mulaney have been quietly dating after meeting at church in Los Angeles. They are said to be “taking it slowly.”
For Munn, 40, this connection might be several years in the making. In 2015, she gushed that she was “obsessed” with Mulaney, 38, after meeting him and Tendler, who was his fiancee at the time, at a wedding.
"I was like ‘Oh my gosh, do you and your fiancè want to go have dinner or something and go hang out?” Munn recalled.
Munn also tweeted in support of the former SNL writer and star when he entered rehab in December 2020.
Mulaney is recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
When he returned to stand up earlier this week, Mulaney disclosed that he was 141 days sober after comedy peers including Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, and Nick Kroll staged an intervention before his rehab stint.
“When I’m alone, I realize I’m with the person who tried to kill me,” he revealed while opening up about his relapse back into alcohol and drug addiction.
Mulaney’s honesty and transparency while grappling with his addiction could be a testament to his strength and will hopefully foreshadow a life of sobriety.
However, the rapid life changes that Mulaney has gone through over the past week do create a somewhat concerning outlook for a recovering addict in need of stability.
Is Mulaney rushing into decisions post-addiction?
Recovering addicts are often advised not to make major life-changing decisions in the first year of sobriety.
The American Addiction Center lists “starting a new romance,” and “getting divorced” as two of their prime examples of decisions to avoid.
The center says things like new relationships can become addiction substitutes that can lead back to the real thing.
And though we don’t know when exactly Mulaney decided to end his marriage, the speed at which this decision was announced before the rumors of a budding romance emerged do seem to be exactly what the experts advise addicts not to do.
Dr. Paul Greene, a psychologist who works with clients to treat addiction, tells us sobriety should be an addict’s primary concern soon after treatment.
“It's often unwise to make binding, life-changing decisions very early in sobriety," he says. "At that critical time, it's important to focus on improving your ability to get through the day substance-free.”
It is natural for addicts to want to radically revamp their lives in order to escape certain triggers or establish new parameters for sobriety, but this can be reductive and distract from the issue at hand.
“Making life-changing decisions can keep one's focus on the big picture when, in reality, it needs to be on more day-to-day concerns,” Greene tells us. He recommends focusing on smaller issues like, “learning how to tolerate disappointment or getting in the habit of not spending time with certain acquaintances.”
That said, inevitably there will be changes you feel like you cannot avoid.
Greene says, “If those decisions can be postponed until recovery is more stable, that's ideal.”
However, if not, it can be best for addicts to consult sponsors, therapists, or support groups to talk through decisions without threatening their recovery.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her on Twitter for more.