Leader Of The Pack
Cosmopolitan UK|December 2018

Long before the #MeToo movement was ignited, actress Olivia Munn exposed the sexual misconduct of some of Hollywood’s biggest power players. Here, she explains how it’s a move that almost cost her her career – and why you should never write off an underdog

Shoshana Goldberg
Leader Of The Pack
Olivia Munn is used to being the underdog.

She knows how it feels to be alone, fighting against a world that does not want your voice in it. She first learned this when she was 13 years old. A marauding group of teenage girls would single her out at school. They would laugh at her clothes, tell her she looked stupid, push her, one after the other, before menacingly telling her they wanted her “out of our school”. One day Olivia saw her older sister, Sara – a popular girl at the same school – being approached by the bullies. She watched from the sidelines, hopeful that her sibling would deliver a cutting coup de grace. Instead she did nothing.

“So I raced after her and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell them off?’ And she simply said, ‘They don’t matter.’” Then she came up close to her younger sister’s face and breathed the words, “[And] if you ever let these girls make you feel small [again], I’ll kick your ass myself.”

The next time Olivia saw the bullies, something inside her had changed. One of the girls called her a “slut”, despite Munn only being in the eighth grade and never having kissed a boy. For the first time, she spoke up. She told them what she thought of them. As the words tumbled out of her mouth, the girls walked towards her. With the threat of violence on the horizon, Munn said, “OK, fine, let’s go. But you have to throw the first punch because I don’t want to get expelled. If you throw the first punch, we can start.” They were confused. And so Olivia Munn did the only sensible thing she could think of: she picked up her stuff and walked away.

It has been a metaphor for her life ever since.

This story is from the December 2018 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2018 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COSMOPOLITAN UKView All
‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'
Cosmopolitan UK

‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'

With his girlfriend out of town, Jack’s* wife suggests he finds a third partner

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2019
Brave New Beauty
Cosmopolitan UK

Brave New Beauty

Is tech about to revolutionise your skincare regime and transport you into a whole new universe of beautification? Joanna Taylor isn’t always convinced…

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2019
How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…
Cosmopolitan UK

How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…

I put in 18-hour days. I work in the same room I sleep in. I never know when or if I’ll be paid. I go days without speaking to anyone.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2019
Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?
Cosmopolitan UK

Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?

Quite possibly. But you’ll have to catch the eye of a new breed of talent scout first. Here’s how…

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2019
The Robot Wars
Cosmopolitan UK

The Robot Wars

For decades, mankind has feared the day technology becomes cleverer than us. Now it’s here, and we were too busy trying to sync our Sonos to notice. Welcome to The Big Techover...

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2019
Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded
Cosmopolitan UK

Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded

Think you’re up to date with the basic rules of staying in shape? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably aren’t…

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2019
The Darkside Of BodyBuilding
Cosmopolitan UK

The Darkside Of BodyBuilding

Amateur fitness competitions have gone mainstream – but do they provide a “healthy” cover for those hiding deadly eating disorders? Former competitor Rebecca Barnes, 22, certainly thinks so.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2019
The Stacy Dooley Effect
Cosmopolitan UK

The Stacy Dooley Effect

From the frontline to the dancefloor, Stacey Dooley defied all the odds to become TV’s golden girl. But it could have worked out very differently

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2019
Kings Of The Night
Cosmopolitan UK

Kings Of The Night

Sex, champagne and parties on tap… what could possibly go wrong? BOBBY PALMER spends the night with the most successful club promoter in London

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2019
Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?
Cosmopolitan UK

Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?

With their legions of fans, beauty-brand founders have exploded onto the scene – sometimes becoming celebrities in their own right. But what happens when their behaviour eclipses their products? Laura Capon investigates

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2019