How John Mulaney Broke Up With a Toxic Person to Prioritize His Recovery
Comedian John Mulaney has been transparent about addiction with audiences who visit his From Scratch shows. He started the tour still fresh from a stay in rehab. So fresh, in fact, he mentioned it on tour merchandise.
A few things in his new material seem to stick out to fans, like a joke about how “everyone hates” his baby. But one story about breaking things off with a toxic person seemingly reminded some admirers exactly why they love him.
‘From Scratch’ has new kinds of jokes
It’s pretty safe to say Mulaney has been through a lot this year – both good and bad. But specific to this story, he completed a stay in a rehab facility in Feb. 2021. Soon after, new comedy material and shows were announced and Mulaney dove into From Scratch.
He’s going through divorce with Anna Marie Tendler while getting ready to have his first baby with Olivia Munn. That storyline is a point of contention with some parts of the public. Though he apparently doesn’t mention either relationship in From Scratch, he’s been open with audiences about how his personal life has upset fans, according to reviews of the show.
But another thing Mulaney apparently explores in depth is his addiction relapse, a “star-studded” intervention, and his low-key stay in rehab. However, he also pointed out one part of recovery some people might not have even thought of – breaking things off with a drug dealer.
John Mulaney dumped his dealer
A part of the rehabilitation process that seems crucial is breaking things off with a supplier. As such, this was something Mulaney was required to do while recovering from his relapse.
According to Erin McGay from The Review, “During [Mulaney’s] stint in rehab, he was instructed to ‘break up’ with his drug dealer. The dealer congratulated him and told him how proud he was of him for getting sober.”
McGay noted, “The joke was that the dealer didn’t even know why he was Mulaney’s dealer. He was an artist and he just dealt drugs to Mulaney because he wanted them to be safe.”
Some of Mulaney’s fans think it sounds nice, including McGay. “It definitely was my favorite joke of the night and also very sweet if it’s completely true,” she wrote in her review. Of course, it’s right on-brand for Mulaney to turn something dark into a hilarious bit.
In the end, no matter how nice the artist-not-drug-dealer was, that sounds like one break up that was certainly for the best.
John Mulaney is grateful for fans
In concluding the From Scratch review for The Review, McGay pointed out how Mulaney concluded his own show – by thanking his fans for sticking with him. He apparently referred to getting through the “darkest time in [his] life” before saying he’s thankful to still “be here” and be doing stand-up.
Though he pretty recently went through that “darkest time,” Mulaney seems to be back on an upswing. He’s expecting his first baby with actor Olivia Munn this year. Yes, that would be the same one he joked “everyone hates.”
And while he may humorously complain that the public has turned on him, From Scratch was very well-received. He’s nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Comedy Act of 2021 — which fans can vote for through Nov. 2021.
In the end, it seems to go without saying that Mulaney absolutely made the right choice in dumping his drug dealer.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
