Angelina Jolie Shares Her Mastectomy Scars Publicly for the First Time
Angelina Jolie has opened up about her mastectomy scars in a recent interview with TIME France, showing them publicly for the first time. The Oscar-winning actress, 50, explained why she chose to reveal the results of her preventive double mastectomy more than ten years after the procedure.
“I share these scars with many women I love,” Jolie told the magazine. “And I’m always moved when I see other women share theirs.” She added that she wanted to join others in raising awareness about breast health and cancer prevention.
Jolie’s decision for the surgery in 2013 was influenced by her family history. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of cancer at 56, and Jolie herself carries the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of breast cancer.
In a 2013 New York Times op-ed, she explained that the mastectomy reduced her risk from 87 percent to under 5 percent. “I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she said. She also underwent preventive removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes in 2015.
In the interview, Jolie stressed the importance of access to genetic testing and screenings. “Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices,” she said.
“Healthcare decisions must be personal, and women must have the information and support they need to make those choices. Access to screening and care should not depend on financial resources or where someone lives.”
Jolie also discussed her upcoming film, Couture, directed by Alice Winocour, which tells the story of an American filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer. She praised Winocour’s sensitive handling of the subject. “Too often, films about women’s struggles — especially cancer — talk about endings and sadness, rarely about life,” Jolie said.
“Hardships, illnesses, and pain are part of our existence, but what matters is how we face them.” She added that the story resonated with her because of her own experiences with her mother’s illness.
Jolie explained that she was drawn to the film because it shows life beyond the illness. “I love this film because it tells a story that goes far beyond the journey of a sick person: it shows life. It was this luminous perspective that touched me and made me want to play this role,” she said.
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