Olivia Munn has bravely opened up about her personal battle with trichotillomania, a disorder that has haunted her for years. The 44-year-old actress, renowned for her role in "The Newsroom," has previously spoken about her struggles with this hair-pulling condition. According to the Mayo Clinic, trichotillomania is a mental health issue characterized by "frequent, repeated, and irresistible urges to pull out hair from one's scalp, eyebrows, or other body areas." For Munn, this manifests as the compulsion to pluck her own eyelashes.
On the June 30 episode of the "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" podcast, Munn vividly described her experience. "There's a sensation, probably imaginary, that makes me think, ‘Oh, this eyelash is about to come out,’ even though it isn't," she explained. "When you pull it, there's a fleeting moment of pain, followed by satisfaction and then instant regret."
Munn recalled that her trichotillomania first emerged during her relationship with actor Chris Pine, whom she dated for several months between late 2009 and early 2010. "A paparazzi shot of us made its way into the tabloids, marking my first appearance in such publications," she reminisced.
She shared an anecdote from that time when she attended a small event and requested "the ugliest dress" from the costume team at "The Daily Show." "They found this old blue prom dress adorned with giant pom-poms," Munn laughed. "I thought, ‘Maybe I can make it onto the worst best-dressed list?’ And surprisingly, it worked! I was thrilled that they even considered me noteworthy enough for the list."
As she left Pine's apartment, Munn noted the paparazzi waiting outside due to his fame from "Star Trek." They captured photos of her, and she was astounded when her friends pointed out the coverage. "One friend said, ‘Hey, you're dating Chris Pine,’" she recalled. Curiosity led her to make the mistake of reading the comments on the images. "People speculated that I had orchestrated the whole thing, asking, ‘Who carries a clutch during the day?’" she said. "That was the beginning of my trichotillomania."
Despite their past relationship, Munn revealed that she and Pine remain in touch. "He is amazing," she said of the "Wonder Woman" actor. "We ran into each other recently at the SNL 50 anniversary and spent time together in the airport lounge. It was wonderful to catch up; he's truly the best."
Since then, Munn has found happiness with John Mulaney, with whom she shares a 3-year-old son named Malcolm and a 9-month-old daughter named Méi.
