Patton Oswalt's wife Meredith Salenger addressed comments about her husband's tribute to his late spouse Michelle McNamara on the 10th anniversary of her death.
By Paige Catton Apr 23, 2026 10:33 PM | Updated 24 minutes ago
How Euphoria Paid Tribute to Eric Dane, Angus Cloud During Season 3 Premiere
Patton Oswalt's wife Meredith Salenger is fully supportive of honoring the memory of lost loved ones.
After the comedian shared a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Michelle McNamara, Meredith weighed in on critics who suggested that she took issue with Patton's message.
Patton marked the 10-year anniversary of Michelle's passing on Instagram on April 21, sharing a throwback photo of him and his late partner smiling. "Ten years gone," he captioned the sweet image. "Miss you, baby."
And Meredith—who has been married to Patton since 2017—joined in on praising Michelle, calling her a "beauty" who was "smart," "cool" and "brave" in the comments section of her husband's post. She explained that Michelle was "clearly smart enough to love you and wonderful enough to be adored by you."
Plus, the actress noted that Michelle "made the greatest kid on the planet," referring to Patton's 17-year-old Alice, whom he welcomed during his marriage to the late author.
"Wish I had known her," Meredith concluded in her comment. "I'm so sorry for the heartbreak you and Alice will always hold. I love you both with all my heart. Hugs forever."
Despite Meredith's kind words about Patton's late love, a social media user expressed sympathy for the 56-year-old, suggesting that it must be difficult for her to see her husband honor Michelle's memory.
"Always a tough message for a current spouse / partner to read," the person commented, according to a screenshot Patton shared on Threads.
Addressing the commenter, Meredith stressed that the love her husband and Michelle shared is what's important, and she continues to feel the heartbreak a decade later.
"Not tough at all. My heart breaks that the two people I love the most lost the person they loved the most," she replied to the fan. "That they ever endured that sadness that will never go away. My heart aches for them both."
After highlighting his wife's reaction in his post, Patton praised the Kiss star, writing, "Meredith elevates empathy and has guided me and Alice back into the world. This is how she responded to one of my Instagram comments." He added, "I found love twice, and I'm thankful every day."
Mindy Small/WireImage
Patton and Michelle were married from 2005 until the crime writer's death in 2015 at age 46. Michelle unexpectedly died in her sleep from a combination of prescription drug medications and an unknown heart condition, Patton told the Associated Press in 2017.
As Patton expressed, he fortunately found love once again with Meredith—with the couple both continuing to keep Michelle's memory alive in the years since.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App