People deletes Olivia Munn story after Ms. Rachel comments draw 'threats'
In a rare move, People magazine deleted a story from its website on Wednesday after it triggered 'violent' threats against its subject, the actress Olivia Munn, and her family.
The story was about Munn's distaste for children's television and bore a headline specifically citing the popular YouTuber Ms. Rachel — which apparently triggered some fans. 'There is no excuse for these abhorrent attacks, and we will always prioritize safety above all else,' the publication acknowledged in a statement explaining the decision to remove a story.
It's an unusual move for any news outlet to delete, rather than amend or update, a story — even People, which is generally considered a friendly go-to outlet for celebrities to share their stories. When asked for further information about removing the article, a People representative pointed back to its original statement.
The post was drawn from the magazine's recent interview with Munn for a cover story, which published online June 4. The 44-year-old actress, who was promoting her new Apple TV+ series, talked about life with her husband, 42-year-old comedian John Mulaney, their children — a 3-year-old boy and 8-month-old girl — as well as her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis. People also published several separate exclusive items using material from the Munn interview, including one in which she discussed her fertility treatments, and another post headlined, 'Olivia Munn Doesn't Let Her Kids Watch Ms. Rachel. Here's Why.'
In the story, according to sites that repeated quotes from it before it was deleted, Munn shared her irritation with children's TV programming. She specifically cited Ms. Rachel, a major celebrity to young children and their parents.
'I know kids love [Ms. Rachel], but the thing is, if I can't watch it, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life going crazy,' Munn said, and added she was not a fan of 'Blue's Clues' or 'Spider-Man' either. (She did admit a tolerance for 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,' because it helped her son prepare for the arrival of a baby sister.)
However, the framing of the People headline drew attention on social media, especially given that Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, has been in the news for speaking out about the plight of children in Gaza — though it's unclear if this topic was even addressed in the People story. All of this was surely heightened by the strong feelings many fans harbor about Mulaney and Munn's relationship, and its timing relative to his divorce from an artist, Anna Marie Tendler, with her own significant social media following.
Various publications and social media accounts started regurgitating Munn's comments, and Accurso herself expressed disappointment when she left a comment on People's Instagram post, now disappeared as well:
'WHO CARES?! I'd rather you cover me advocating for kids in Gaza who are literally starving, largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, thousands & thousands killed — no medical care, no education, no homes… do better!!!' Accurso wrote, according to multiple reports. 'Not against [Munn] at all and don't care that she doesn't want to watch the show — all my love to her and her family — disappointed in the outlets.' Later, she wrote on her own Instagram account that she and Munn had spoken and were on good terms.
'Please be kind to Olivia & her precious family,' Accurso wrote. 'I don't believe in hate, attacks or hurtful comments.'
Munn also criticized the coverage. 'To Ms Rachel and your fans, I hear and respect the passion behind your support. I never anticipated the media would single out one small thing I said and distort it like they have,' she wrote in an Instagram story earlier this week. 'Every parent understands the importance of finding meaningful programming that helps us connect with our kids. I don't want something taken out of context to be a moment that steals even a minute of joy for anyone.'
Mulaney weighed in Wednesday, calling for a stop to the 'violent and threatening' comments that Munn had been receiving in online comments and direct messages. 'An innocent comment my wife Olivia Munn made about what children's programs we like has somehow — unbelievably — been conflated with not caring about the deaths of children in Gaza,' he posted on Instagram.
'The people doing this are so wildly out of line and so unhelpful to any conversation. You took a nothing comment to a dark and dangerous place. This kind of behavior isn't activism.'
Accurso has been creating educational children's content on YouTube, where she has more than 15.2 million subscribers, since 2019. With the help of silly and cheerful music, Ms. Rachel teaches children how to spell and use the bathroom, while also offering lessons on emotional support.
Outside of her YouTube show, Accurso has been outspoken about Gaza, which led to backlash from right-wing media commentators and StopAntisemitism, a prominent pro-Israel group, which called on the U.S. attorney general to investigate the children's entertainer. (Accurso said earlier this month that she stands against 'all forms of hate.')
But, Accurso told WBUR, 'I wouldn't be Ms. Rachel if I didn't deeply care about all kids. And I would risk everything, and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
41 minutes ago
Hailee Steinfeld reflects on 'unforgettable' wedding to Josh Allen
Hailee Steinfeld says her wedding to Josh Allen was "unforgettable" and "magical." The " Sinners" star opened up about her black-tie wedding last month to the Buffalo Bills quarterback in her Beau Society newsletter on Friday, including photos from the stunning event. "Over the past two weeks, random yet very specific memories have been popping back into our heads, and we've been blurting them out to each other, often through smiles, laughs, and tears," she wrote. "It felt like love was running through the veins of every tree at our gorgeous venue in Santa Barbara," she continued. "Our family and friends coming together amplified it." The Oscar nominee said that the night before the wedding, the couple had a dinner with their immediate families. They also had a welcome party the next day for their guests. On the morning of their wedding, Steinfeld said she and Allen had an early breakfast, writing, "I don't think I could've gone the whole day without seeing him!" When it came to the actual ceremony, Steinfeld said her dad walked her down the aisle. She wore a custom dress designed by Tamara Ralph, for which she had a fitting in Paris after the London premiere of "Sinners." She said that when she saw Allen at the end of the aisle, he "looked like the man of every dream I've ever had." "I just remember the walkup looked like a façade," she wrote. "Josh standing under this huge structure; it was the most surreal thing I'd ever seen." Following their reception, the duo hosted an underground afterparty that ended at 3 a.m. and included a DJ, cigar bar and more, she said. Steinfeld said she and Allen embarked on their honeymoon the next day. "Now we're back and it's been a whole 13 days of being married, and we'll be staying on this high forever!" she wrote. The pair first made their relationship Instagram official in July 2024. They later confirmed their engagement on Nov. 29, 2024, also with an .
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Love Island host Maya Jama drops proof of 'epic twists' to come this season
This season of Love Island has only been on our screens for a week, and things are already heating up in the villa. Two members of the Love Island 2025 cast have been dumped, six bombshells have entered and the girls got to watch the boys on a cheeky night out – with the fallout from that expected to be shown during tonight's episode (Sunday 15 June). And, even with all that going on, we can expect even more twists and turns to come, which Maya Jama just confirmed. Taking to her Instagram feed, the Love Island host shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos from the last week. In one of the photos, we can see a card from (who we assume is) the Love Island producing team, which is addressed to "Maya – CEO of Love". "Happy launch day!" the card continues. "Here's to an epic series of twists and turns," it goes on to read, confirming that this season of Love Island will be the most exciting yet. Swipe to slide 15: Maya's post comes after plenty of celebration from fans about this year's series so far, with viewers taking to social media to praise the producers. "Love Island producers have absolutely earned their entire yearly salary just from this episode ALONE," one person said after Friday night's episode, in which the girls watched as the boys went on dates with the new bombshells in a Movie Night-style twist. "Kinda love the producers for letting the girls hear ALL the gossip, ALL the context and now they can make their minds up," another viewer wrote, with a third agreeing: "This format is actually better than Movie Night because CONTEXT IS THERE, love that the girls can hear everything start to finish." Elsewhere, a fourth fan said what we're all thinking: "Producers ate." We'll definitely be tuning in tonight at 9pm sharp to see how this twist plays out...
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Australian model Dominique Elissa reveals her near-death experience as backyard sauna explodes
Aussie model Dominique Elissa has detailed how a peaceful escape turned into a nightmare when she nearly lost her life in a terrifying freak accident. The 30-year-old influencer shared a shocking story of the near-death experience that happened in the backyard of a house she was staying in. She posted a video on TikTok this week, explaining how she narrowly escaped death in a clip that has over 80,000 views. The podcast host was staying at a house 30 minutes outside Byron Bay, where she was set to host a wellness retreat the next day. But her tranquil getaway was ruined when a sauna on the property exploded just moments before she was about to use it. 'I didn't think I was going to talk about this, but I had a crazy, traumatizing, near-death experience the other night,' Elissa said. 5 Dominique Elissa shared how she almost died in a sauna. She had turned on the sauna to heat up while cooking dinner, planning to use it afterwards as she had done the night before. 'I finish eating dinner and I'm about to put my swimmers on to go in the sauna, and I hear 'boom',' she explained. 'I look up and the entire sauna exploded.' 5 Elissa called the sauna situation the 'scariest moment of my life.' The blast sent debris flying around 35 feet into the air, causing a power cut in her remote accommodation. 'My phone was about to die, and I had no reception,' she said. 'I was screaming, 'Help, someone help me!' It was like a horror movie'. She managed to dial emergency services, but by the time they arrived, the sauna was destroyed. '[It] burned to the ground,' she said. 'It was the most horrific thing to experience because I was only a few minutes from going into that sauna'. 5 Elissa posted details about the sauna scare situation as she filmed a 'Get Ready With Me' video for TikTok. 'I'm so grateful to be alive, so grateful to be here,' the wellness enthusiast added. Comments from her 73,000 TikTok followers quickly flooded in. 'This is straight out of a Final Destination movie,' one follower wrote, while another added, 'new fear unlocked'. 5 Elissa's TikTok post about the incident received over 80,000 views. @dominiquelissa / Instagram Many also believed that Elissa's late mother, Odile Faludi, who passed away in March after a battle with stage four cancer, was watching over her. 'OMG Dom, life is so precious, your mum was there watching over you,' one follower commented, echoing the thoughts of many. Others shared their shock that this could even happen. 'I have never heard of this before,' one person admitted. 5 Elissa said she was 'grateful to be alive' after the incident. @dominiquelissa / Instagram 'Never going to a sauna again,' another claimed. Saunas can explode and burn down for a number of reasons. Malfunctions in the heater or thermostat can lead to electrical fires, as can poor design – like installing a heater too close to timber walls or ceilings. Leaving towels or other flammable items on or near the heater can also cause them to ignite quickly. While uncommon, some saunas use hot rocks that have internal cracks. If water becomes trapped within these cracks, it can heat up and cause the rocks to explode.
