So much for a mother’s instinct.
Actress Olivia Munn recently shared a humorous revelation about naming her 7-month-old daughter, Méi June, during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Munn, 44, and her husband, comedian John Mulaney, 42, believed they were honoring Munn’s mother by incorporating her nickname into their daughter’s name.
The couple chose “Méi,” meaning “plum” in Chinese, to reflect Munn’s heritage. They added “June” as a middle name after Munn’s mother mentioned that people used to call her by that name.
“One day we were driving, and my mom just says out of nowhere, ‘You know, people call me June.’ My mom’s name is Dung. It’s spelling D-u-n-g. And so, she said, ‘You know, people call me June,’” she told Meyers.
While Munn never heard anyone call her mom by that name, she didn’t think much of it, and told Mulaney about the conversation.
“So then later, John’s saying, ‘You know, that would be such a pretty name and such a great way to honor your mother. So why don’t we name her Méi June?’” Munn recalled.
After announcing their daughter’s name to the family, however, Munn noticed her mother’s lack of enthusiasm in a group text announcing Mei June’s birth.
“And then an hour later, my mom comes to the hospital and she’s holding the baby, and I realized she didn’t say anything about the name yet. So I said, ‘Mom! What do you think about her name?’ And she goes, ‘It’s okay,’” Munn said.
The Predator actress said her mother proceeded to suggest new middle names for the newborn, which confused the new parents.
“Then one day, it hits me,” Munn said. “So my mom loves to talk. She just talks.”
It turns out, Munn’s mom made up the story for conversational purposes. Despite the unexpected twist, Munn and Mulaney decided to keep the name.
“So, yeah, she’s kind of in honor of my mother, but I hope she doesn’t grow up to be as big a liar,” Munn joked to Meyers.
The couple, who married in July 2024, also share a 3-year-old son, Malcolm Hiệp. They welcomed Méi via a gestational surrogate in September 2024, following Munn’s breast cancer diagnosis in early 2023.
