Olivia Munn opened up about the toll her breast cancer battle has taken on her life, particularly when it comes to being a mom to her and John Mulaney’s two children.
“There is a lot of guilt that I had and still have from being sick for so long and being bedridden with so many surgeries,” Munn, 44, shared on the Wednesday, October 23, episode of Today. “I mean, I thought that when I got through the big chunk of surgeries, like the four surgeries in the beginning, that I would be able to get back on my feet. But then, there came the first wave of medication, and that just knocked me down and was debilitating.”
Munn told Today’s Savannah Guthrie that she often felt “tired” and was “not around that much and I couldn’t hold [my son, Malcolm] as much and I couldn’t go to the playground as much.” She added: “It was really exhausting and there’s just a lot of guilt.”
The actress and Mulaney, 42, welcomed Malcolm, 2, in November 2021. News broke in July that the couple quietly tied the knot. Munn announced via Instagram two months later that she and Mulaney welcomed their second child, daughter Méi, via surrogate.
Olivia Munn and John Mulaney’s Family Album With 2 Kids
Munn previously revealed in March that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and underwent four surgeries, including a double mastectomy.
During her Today appearance, Munn shared that she’s been working with her oncologist to figure out what kinds of activities she can and can’t do with her kids as she continues treatment. “We’re just such a little family,” she gushed. “We’re really tight and we have a lot of fun and we laugh all the time, and John is just the most amazing husband and father. And so, we figure out a way to make it all work despite how tired I can be at times.”
Following her breast cancer diagnosis, Munn had a full hysterectomy. “I took out my uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries,” she shared in a May Vogue interview. “Doing a full hysterectomy was a big decision to make, but it was the best decision for me because I needed to be present for my family.”
Munn told Guthrie, 52, on Wednesday that she’s “doing great” right now but is “in the middle of mixing my medication around a little.” She explained: “Anybody who’s going through this understands that treatment can be taxing at times. So, I’m trying to find the right medication. But I’ve got my hands full with a newborn and a toddler, so a lot of my energy is going toward them and it’s distracting a lot of the other side effects of my medication. So, I’m doing pretty good.”
Olivia Munn’s Breast Cancer Journey in Her Own Words
The New Girl alum recently kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sharing a sweet photo of herself snuggling baby Méi. Munn’s pink blouse and bow-patterned jeans were seemingly inspired by the pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Méi also sported a splash of pink with her pair of little socks.
“This time last year I was recovering from my fourth surgery and now I’m hanging with my baby girl 
,” she captioned the October 2 Instagram pic. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month just started. Last year I was diagnosed with bilateral Luminal B breast cancer. There were many people integral to saving my life but it was my OB-GYN @drthaisaliabadi who set me on the path to survival.”
Munn went on to encourage fans to take the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Test, which determines a person’s risk of getting breast cancer. “To everyone who is battling or has battled cancer, in whatever form, I send you all my love,” she concluded the caption.
