John Mulaney's tribute to wife Olivia Munn was no joking matter.
The comedian surprised the Newsroom actress—with whom he shares son Malcolm, 3, and daughter Méi, 1 month—by showing up to InStyle's 2024 Imagemaker Awards Oct. 24 to present her with a Woman of Impact Award, which recognized her advocacy work around women's health since her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis.
"Olivia saving lives by speaking her truth is not surprising to me," John said to the star-studded crowd, which included Chrissy Teigen, Laverne Cox and Hilary Duff. "Olivia is constantly trying to keep me out of danger and keep me alive through a series of texts throughout our entire relationship."
The standup comic then took out his phone to read out an example of one of their text exchanges.
"This was like the 200th time I took our son for a walk in a stroller in Chicago," John shared. "She wrote me out of nowhere [with] no context, 'Please be so careful today. So many crazy things can come out of nowhere.'"
He went on, "I texted back, 'Like what?' Olivia responded, 'Crazy cars.' You don't hear enough about crazy cars!"
The Mulaney actor got a little more serious when discussing Olivia's harrowing battle with luminal B breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in early 2023.
"About a year [after her diagnosis], Olivia shared her story," he explained. "Her cancer journey. This was a cancer that was not detected from a BRCA gene test, it was not detected by a mammogram. It was detected because she took a heretofore not-that-known test called the lifetime breast cancer risk assessment test and they found that she had a 37 percent chance of breast cancer. And about a month later, she was having a double mastectomy."
"She shared her story to help anyone she could," John, who wed Olivia in July after three years together, continued. "According to the National Cancer Institute, in the week after Olivia shared the story of her breast cancer journey, there was a 4,000 percent increase in women visiting the breast cancer risk assessment. That was the first week."
The former Saturday Night Live writer went on to share the couple's biggest learnings from Olivia's health battle, which put everything into perspective.
"We learned a lot from it," John shared. "We learned she would need five surgeries. We learned there was a risk of lymphedema. We learned that if we had not caught it when we caught it, things could have been a lot worse."
He also managed to inject the more serious parts of his dedication to his wife with a bit of his characteristic humor.
He added, "I also learned it's not pronounced 'masectomy,' it's pronounced 'mastectomy.' It has a T in it. It shouldn't. It should be 'masectomy.' It's ironic that the word itself has a part that should be removed, I think."
John's touching tribute to Olivia came one day after her SKIMS campaign debuted, during which the X-Men: Apocalypse actress showed off the scars from her various surgeries.
"In the middle of this latest SKIMS bra campaign shoot, I decided I was done being insecure about my mastectomy scars," Olivia wrote on Instagram Oct. 23. "Every mark life has left behind on my body is proof of how hard I fought. I hope other women who have been self-conscious about their scars see these photos and feel all the love I'm sending."
Keep reading for more about Olivia and John's family.
Welcome Méi
On Sept. 22, 2024, Olivia Munn and John Mulaney announced they had welcomed their second child, daughter Méi June Mulaney, via surrogate one week prior.
Baby Girl
Olivia and John shares several pics in their birth announcement for their baby girl, including this sweet photo of the three in the hospital.
Mother of Two
As part of her birth announcement for baby Méi, Olivia shared this pic of the two enjoying a sweet moment.
Family of Four
Méi joins big brother Malcolm, who was born in 2021. After her birth, Olivia and John shared pics of one of their first outings as a foursome.
Baby Bliss
Olivia also shared this pic of newborn Méi catching some zzz's.
Time to Celebrate
John and Olivia celebrated Malcolm's second birthday in November 2023.
Way to Go, Idaho
The parents took Malcolm to the Gem State in June 2023.
Little Moments
Olivia shared this photo of her family of three on Father's Day 2023.
Life's a Beach
John and Olivia hit the beach with Malcolm in March 2023.
Let Them Eat Cake
The couple rang in theirMalcolm's first birthday in November 2022, with Olivia joking that her mom Kim was getting "impatient" with the cake-cutting.
Making Memories
John celebrated his 40th birthday with Olivia and Malcolm in August 2022.
Doting Dad
Olivia snapped a sweet moment between John and their son on stage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado in April 2022.
New Parent Pals
The family of three posed alongside fellow parents Dan Levy and Rachel Specter with their daughter Penny.
4 Months
Olivia and John celebrated Malcolm turning 4 months old on March 24, 2022.
Birthday Boy
"Daddy" John cuddled with Malcolm on his 4-month birthdate before heading out to Texas.
Mommy & Me
The actress shared, "It's been 4 months since the happiest, chillest baby came into my world."
Love at First Sight
John peered over at his baby boy in this throwback photo from his birth. The comedian wrote in March 2022, "Four months ago I met a 6 lb boy who changed my life forever."
Boys Reunited
Olivia captioned this adorable embrace with a teddy bear emoji.
In the Family
Olivia shared a pic of Malcolm with his grandma a.k.a. the "retired tiger mom."
"Buttered Biscuit"
Olivia gushed over her baby boy.
Baby Playdate
Olivia and John introduced Malcolm to friends Henry Golding and Liv Lo Golding, as well as the couple's daughter Lyla, in January 2022.
Dads on Duty
John and Henry were seen laughing as they held up their tiny tots.
New Moms
The friends snapped a selfie while introducing their babies.
First Friends
As Olivia wrote, "Malcolm met Lyla today."
Sweater Weather
Olivia and John were pictured arm-in-arm during a sweet moment, seemingly gazing at their little one in January 2022.
A Visit From Uncle Pete
"Uncle" Pete Davidson visited Malcolm in January 2022.
Baby Kisses
John gave his son a kiss on the cheek.
Shhh!
Malcolm fell asleep in dad's carrier during an outing at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif.
New Year Together
The Newsroom actress celebrated New Year's Day 2022 with a new pic of Malcolm.
A Walk With Dad
John shared a selfie with his Malcolm, kept cozy in a blue beanie, while they took a walk.