Angelina Jolie, 50, Calls Her Scars a Choice and Reveals Powerful Lessons About Healing
Angelina Jolie has once again brought attention to women’s health and the emotional side of recovery. In a recent interview with French Inter, the Oscar-winning actress talked about her decision to have a preventive double mastectomy more than ten years ago.
She described her surgical scars as “a choice I made to stay here as long as I could with my children,” saying she sees them as a symbol of life, not a reminder of illness. Her surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk, who performed the procedure, shared her support on Instagram on February 13. Funk said hearing Jolie call her scars a Choice reveals a full circle of healing most people never see.
She added that these scars should be seen as marks of survival, not disfigurements, because they tell stories of second chances. Jolie’s journey started in 2013 after she discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene, which greatly increased her risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Having lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to cancer at 56, Jolie was determined to protect herself for the sake of her six children. She has often said she is grateful that “I had the opportunity to have the choice to do something proactive regarding my genetic predisposition.”
Her latest film, Couture, draws from these personal experiences. In the movie, Jolie plays Maxine Walker, a filmmaker diagnosed with cancer during Paris Fashion Week. The story premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and focuses on resilience and solidarity rather than sadness, following the lives of three women navigating health challenges.
This year, Jolie is entering a new chapter as her youngest twins, Vivienne and Knox, approach 18. Reports suggest she is planning to move abroad permanently, wanting to raise her family away from Hollywood. She has said she wishes to spend more time in Cambodia, where her humanitarian work and journey into motherhood began.
Jolie’s professional life is also busy. She is producing and starring in the dark thriller Sunny, directed by Eva Sørhaug, about a mother navigating a violent criminal world to protect her sons. She is also working with director Doug Liman on the espionage thriller The Initiative, which will start filming later this year.
Outside of film, Jolie continues her advocacy for women’s rights and humanitarian aid. She recently spoke out against international budget cuts for refugee programs and mentors young artists through her production work.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts in the comments.
