A Rare Move for People: Magazine Erases Story

In a move that the magazine itself described as "unusual," People has removed an online article about Olivia Munn. The actor is the subject of the magazine's latest cover story, and in addition to that extensive piece, the magazine had posted a few sidebar stories from its interview with Munn. One of those had to do with how the actor feels about children's shows, including the beloved Ms. Rachel. Long story short, Munn is not a fan, and People says the article led to "violent threats" against Munn and her family. "There is no excuse for these abhorrent attacks, and we will always prioritize safety above all else," the magazine says in a statement.

As BuzzFeed and other outlets reported before the article was taken down, Munn, who shares two young children with John Mulaney, said she doesn't let her kids watch shows that she can't bring herself to watch. "These kid shows drive me crazy," she said. It wasn't just Ms. Rachel, either: "Malcolm asked for Blue's Clues, and I don't know who showed him Blue's Clues, but they are on my s--- list now," Munn said. "I said, 'Hell no. Not in my house.'" She also relayed a story about the Spider-Man cartoons, which she says are not "interesting," and how she redirected her son to the live-action Tom Holland films instead. "It might be a little too old for him, but I can't take the cartoons," she said.

The Washington Post puts things in context: People have Big Feelings about Munn's relationship with Mulaney, given the awkward timing of its beginning and his prior relationship's end (he was previously married to artist Anna Marie Tendler). And then there's the fact that Ms. Rachel has been speaking out to bring attention to children suffering amid the war in Gaza. "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," Mulaney posted on Instagram. Ms. Rachel herself asked people to stop threatening Munn, and said the two had talked and were on good terms. (More Olivia Munn stories.)