Patton Oswalt Was Criticized for Mourning the Death of His Late Wife. His New Wife Had the Perfect Response
Patton Oswalt Was Criticized for Mourning the Death of His Late Wife. His New Wife Had the Perfect Response
Shyla WatsonWed, April 22, 2026 at 5:42 PM UTC
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Patton Oswalt and Michelle McNamara / Meredith Salenger and Patton OswaltCredit: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic; Kayla Oaddams/Getty -
Patton Oswalt shared a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Michelle McNamara, sparking criticism from some online commenters
Oswalt's wife Meredith Salenger defended him, expressing empathy for his grief and their shared journey of healing
The couple previously faced scrutiny about the timeline of their relationship
Patton Oswalt is shutting down internet trolls — with the help of his wife.
On April 21, the actor and comedian, 57, posted a tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara. "Ten years gone. Miss you, baby," he wrote on his social media pages.
However, some online commenters criticized the actor for his post, now that he is married to Meredith Salenger.
"Your wife seems to be the most understanding spouse. I love that for all of you," wrote one critic on Threads.
The Goldbergs actor replied, "Meredith elevates empathy and has guided me and Alice back into the world. This is how she responded to one of my Instagram comments. I found love twice, and I’m thankful every day."
In the screenshot he shared, a comment on Instagram read, "Always a tough message for a current spouse / partner to read @meredithsalenger 💕," tagging Oswalt's wife Salenger.
Salenger, 56, responded, "Not tough at all. My heart breaks that the two people I love the most lost the person they loved the most. That they ever endured that sadness that will never go away. My heart aches for them both."
Oswalt and McNamara, a true crime writer, married on Sept. 24, 2005, and welcomed daughter Alice, 17, in April 2009.
The I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer author died unexpectedly in her sleep on April 21, 2016, at age 46, from a combination of an undiagnosed heart condition and prescription medications.
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Patton Oswalt and Michelle McNamara in 2011Credit: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
15 months later, Oswalt announced his engagement to actress Meredith Salenger in July 2017. The couple received harsh criticism from those who thought the Grammy winner was marrying too close to the death of McNamara.
At the time, blogger and widow Erica Roman wrote a post defending the couple’s decision in an essay, "A Widow's Rage Defense of Patton Oswalt's Engagement."
“You aren’t entitled to an opinion. You don’t get to comment on the choices of a widower while you sit happily next to your own living spouse,” Roman wrote. "You didn’t have to stand and watch your mundane morning turn into your absolute worst nightmare. Go back to scrolling Facebook and keep your ignorance to yourself.”
In a since-deleted post, Oswalt shared the article on Facebook and added, "This is so amazing. And SO well-written. I expected some bitter grub worms to weigh in (anonymously, always always always) with their much-needed opinions when I announced my engagement last week. And I decided to ignore them,” the Goat actor wrote. “But yeah, I felt this rage."
Meredith Salenger and Patton Oswalt in 2024Credit: Kayla Oaddams/Getty
“Everyone has been so lovely to us… ALL of Michelle’s siblings and friends and family… a few trolls have strong opinions,” Salenger said in her own comment about Roman's article. “But I think for Patton, having met and found love after over a year of intense therapy and openly grieving and dealing with his pain… I am grateful to be the one who helps him climb out of the depths of grief and find some joy again. And most of all… Alice is happy and feels loved.”
“I have waited 47 years to find true love,” she continued. “Creating our family unit while honoring the brilliant gift Michelle has given me will be my life’s goal and happiness. I am deeply in love with both Patton and Alice and very much looking forward to a beautiful happy life having adventures together.”
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Oswalt and Salenger tied the knot on Nov. 4, 2017.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
