Meet Anna Marie Tendler, comedian John Mulaney’s ex-wife: her new memoir, Men Have Called Her Crazy, details her struggles with depression and self-harm before she checked into a psychiatric hospital
- Mulaney was married to NYU graduate Tendler for 8 years before divorcing her and tying the knot with Olivia Munn, with whom he shares a son
- The multidisciplinary artist calls men the source of ‘her endless heartbreak and rage’ and was deeply affected by the death of her French bulldog Petunia
Here’s everything we know about Anna Marie Tendler, and how she decided to heal by seeking professional help.
What did Anna Marie Tendler say about men in her memoir?
The author details her struggle with “intense suicidal ideation, self-harm, disordered eating” and “f***ing men” in her memoir. She admitted to having grown “distrustful” of men to the point that she would “absolutely refuse to be around” them. When she announced her memoir, she emphasised that it was about “the endless source of my heartbreak and rage – men”, per E! Online.
She wrote a suicide note once
Per Elle, Tendler also reveals in her memoir that she wrote a suicide note once, fuelled by “venom and rage” for several reasons, one of which was as “trivial” as not being complimented at a party where she wore a “sexy” dress. Under the surface, however, it hinted at a “deep depression, a seemingly bottomless chasm of worthlessness and anxiety”. Ultimately, she put herself in the hands of professionals with one wish: “one day I’ll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself”.
She was deeply affected by the loss of her dog, Petunia
During her hospital stay, Tendler listed her French bulldog Petunia as her only reason to live. “She was my constant through marriage, four moves, graduate school, a career change (or two), a mental health crisis, a divorce and finally a reinvention,” Tendler wrote in her Elle essay.