Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger aren’t about the let the stupid, insensitive, ignorant, angry and mean trolls on the Internet ruin their engagement.
Or, to use the comedian’s language, they aren’t about to let a bunch of “bitter grub words” affect their happiness these days.
Last week, Oswalt announced that he and Salenger were engaged, following a few months of dating.
The news came as a surprise to many, considering the stars had only just revealed their romance to the public by walking the red carpet of the Baby Driver premiere in Los Angeles.
It also came as a surprise because Oswalt tragically lost his wife, Michelle McNamara, last April.
At the age of 46, she died of an accidental prescription drug overdose, leaving Oswalt alone to raise their eight-year old daughter.
On many occasions since, Oswalt wrote gut-wrenching posts about his grief and pain and overall mental state; these posts were as raw and candid as it can get.
But Oswalt has managed to expand his heart and is willing to love once again, a development that is great for the mental health of the star and for the long-term well-being of his child.
However, it’s apparently unacceptable to idiots on the Internet who have managed to take Oswalt to task for daring to get engaged so soon after the death of his wife.
In a subsequent Facebook post, Oswalt doesn’t bother to engage these trolls on their immature level.
But it does acknowledge their criticism, while linking to a recent article by a widower who Oswalt says sums up his situation in perfect, heartwarming, emotional fashion.
“This is so amazing. And SO well-written,” Oswalt wrote of a post by a blogger named Erica Roman, adding:
“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.”
Concluded Oswalt, along with a link to the article in question:
But yeah, I felt this rage. And Erica articulated it better than I could have ever hoped. So there you go. Thank you, Erica.
Roman, who became a widow at the age of 27, blasted Oswalt’s critics in her viral post.
“You aren’t entitled to an opinion,” she says, explaining:
“You don’t get to comment on the choices of a widower while you sit happily next to your own living spouse. 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.”
As Oswalt notes: perfect.
Salenger, meanwhile, acknowledged that most people have been “lovely” to her and her famous fiance, but also linked to Roman’s article and wrote the following:
“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,” wrote the actress, concluding:
“I have waited 47 years to find true love. 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.”
Salenger is a Harvard-educated actress who starred in Disney’s The Journey of Natty Gan at the age of 15.
She has an array of television and movies credits on her resume, including Hollywood Heights, Lake Placid; and she has done voiceover work for cartoons such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
(Oswalt may be the universe’s foremost authority on all things Star Wars.)
We wish this couple nothing but the absolute best.