Anna Marie Tendler revealed that she suffered from a “severe mental health breakdown” and was hospitalized before her divorce from John Mulaney.
In an essay penned for Elle magazine and published on Wednesday, Tendler shared that her mental health “hinged wholly” on her late dog, Petunia, as her marriage with the comedian crumbled.
“When I was hospitalized for depression, self-harm, and severe suicidal ideation in the first two weeks of 2021, the doctors asked me to make a list of my reasons for living,” Tendler, 37, wrote.
“Petunia was the one and only thing on that list.”
The artist — who was married to Mulaney, 40, from July 2014 to January 2022 — also recalled a move she made to Connecticut with her dog the same month Mulaney went to rehab.
“Petunia and I moved to Connecticut in December 2020, in the wake of my severe mental health breakdown and what appeared to be the impending end of my marriage.”
Both Tendler and Mulaney posted tributes for their French bulldog following her April passing.
Tendler also alluded to her mental health struggles in an Instagram post in January 2022, detailing how she came to terms with the split.
“Over the past two years it seems that change has been synonymous with loss and collectively this loss has been unfathomable,” she wrote.
The artist went on to call the “circumstances” of the previous year “harsh and punishing,” and further alluded to her mental health struggles at the time.
“I find myself asking, ‘When will I feel normal?’ but in reality, I recognize that the normal from before has expired; ‘normal’ is an impossibility, there is only ‘new.’”
Tendler has also shared her journey of freezing her eggs following the split, posting intimate images to her Instagram of the process.
In January, an artist statement from Tendler ahead of a gallery opening illuminated more of her perspective.
“The concept of Motherhood is so ingrained in us that even when it is something we do not want we fail to trust our gut desire. I do not particularly want children, yet at thirty-six I froze my eggs for fear I might change my mind,” she wrote.
Pvnew exclusively revealed in May 2021 that Mulaney had asked Tendler for a divorce following his 60-day stint in rehab. Their divorce was finalized in January 2022.
In a statement, Tendler said, “I am heartbroken that John has decided to end our marriage. I wish him support and success as he continues his recovery.”
A week after the announcement, news broke that Mulaney and Olivia Munn were dating.
They quietly welcomed their son, Malcolm, 1, in December 2021.
Pvnew confirmed in February that Tendler has also found a new love, and has been dating hunky NYC chef Nicholas Tran.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
