Olivia Munn has the best wingman in her husband, John Mulaney!
The actress, who is now cancer-free, reflected on how much of a positive role her husband’s “inappropriate jokes” played in making the battle against cancer a tad easier.
Olivia Munn revealed in 2024 that she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2023 and underwent several surgeries, such as a double mastectomy and a partial hysterectomy, to curtail the high risk.
Olivia Munn Revealed The Role Of Humor In Her Cancer Journey
The media personality revealed that during her two-year battle against bilateral breast cancer, her husband was right there, cheering her on with inappropriate cancer jokes that could never make it out to the public.
“It just made it not so scary. It really helped change my mind at times, you know? Sometimes when I was really scared, we’d talk about it, and we’d really get into all of the fear, and then he would make a joke. And it would just all feel not so scary at that time. He’s the best,” the actress continued.
Munn continued to rave about her partner, noting that there is no better person in the world to her than her husband, who was so involved in the entire process and would show up at every doctor’s appointment. She shared with CBS News that her husband would meticulously take notes about her illness and hormone therapy in his little notebook, which he reserves for joke ideas.
The Interesting Circumstances Surrounding The Actress’ Diagnosis
Munn gave an update about her health, noting that she feels generally good after putting up a fight for three years. As noted by The Blast, Munn admitted that she feels incredibly lucky to be alive, and she does not feel like cancer took things from her. While the actress acknowledged the crippling side effect of her illness, she still recognizes the privilege of getting to see the sunshine each passing day.
There was really a calm before the storm of Munn’s cancer diagnosis in 2023 when her results for any abnormalities came back squeaky clean. Her doctor, however, became the voice of reason and urged her to participate in the Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment test, a free online tool that evaluates a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. The technology works by analyzing variables, including family history, breast density, and genetic markers.
The test placed a score of 20% or higher as high risk, and Munn scored a high grade of 37%, prompting her to go in for a biopsy and MRI scan. The actress finally discovered that she had Luminal B cancer, a very aggressive form of breast cancer, in not one, but both breasts. Now, after a double mastectomy, a partial hysterectomy, and an oophorectomy, Munn’s test came back as 0%.
Olivia Munn Channelled Her Energy Into Breast Cancer Awareness Mission
The TV star’s decision to make her assessment public spurred a 4000% increase in clicks on the website. Munn also clinched a spot in TIME 100 Most Influential People in Health in 2024. Reacting to the win, the actress noted that she wanted to help as many people as possible to fight cancer and prevent it from going to the next level.
Munn also made the list of TIME Women of the Year in 2025. That is not all, Munn also teamed up with Senator Mark Kelly to advocate for making the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment test part of standard medical care. In another interview, Munn shared that when the diagnosis was first made, the only person she could muster the strength to tell was her husband,
She then revealed that he, in turn, helped her share it with her family when it got too hard to say the words. The actress added that the timing of her cancer revelation happened because she really wanted to take a break and rest from going through several surgeries back-to-back.
The 45-Year-Old Revealed Her Mother’s Cancer Diagnosis Last Year
Munn’s experience with the Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment test prompted her to urge her mother and sister to also participate and check their risk rate. The Blast shared that according to the actress, her mother scored 26.2% in the test, and her yearly mammogram came out void of any abnormalities.
However, she insisted that her mother get an MRI after the high score, and her suspicions were confirmed because her mother was diagnosed with Stage 1 HER2 breast cancer. The actress added that since the diagnosis, her mother has completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy and will continue transfusions for Herceptin till later.
Munn admitted that witnessing the parallels in her and her mother’s illness and treatment was very hard for her, especially as they got to share oncologists and watch each other fight through the illness.
Olivia Munn’s Husband Has An Excellent Relationship With Her Family
Since getting married in 2024, Munn’s husband has integrated himself into her family’s unique culture, and that single decision has been rewarding. The couple tied the knot two and a half years after they welcomed their son, Malcolm, and four months after she shared their cancer diagnosis.
As the son-in-law, Mulaney has now taken on a very crucial role in his wife’s family, which involves making a very handsome financial donation with great joy in his heart. He described the situation as a huge transition from literally having zero Vietnamese people on his payroll to now looking after ten people.
Munn also testified to how much of a great relationship Mulaney shares with her mother and aunts, noting that he even bonds with them in ways she has not been able to, be it over movies and some sweet Vietnamese gossip.
What will Olivia Munn reveal about John Mulaney next?