Angelina Jolie praised for revealing mastectomy scars to raise cancer awareness
Angelina Jolie has revealed her double mastectomy scars for the first time more than a decade after her surgery.
The Oscar-winning actor, 50, posed for a photoshoot with Time France to raise breast cancer awareness and to honor survivors of the deadly disease. Jolie showed her bare chest on the magazine’s cover of its very first issue, revealing the mark from when she went under the knife in 2013.
“I share these scars with many women I love,” Jolie told the outlet in an interview published Monday. “I’m always moved when I see other women share theirs.” She continued, “I wanted to join them, knowing thatTIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention and knowledge about breast cancer.”
Praise poured in online for the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actor following the magazine cover reveal, with one fan writing on X: “Angelina jolie is the perfect choice for a cover story, she embodies strength and compassion.”
Another added, “A fitting choice for a first cover, she’s one of those rare figures whose influence goes well beyond film.” A third chimed in: “Angelina looks absolutely ethereal here. Iconic! Nathaniel Goldberg captured her well.”
Jolie underwent the surgery to remove both of her breasts following the death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, from breast and ovarian cancer in 2007. The actor then tested positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which meant her chances of getting breast and ovarian cancers were significantly higher.
Two years after her double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, the Maleficent star also removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes as a preventative measure.
Her decision went on to massively raise awareness for breast cancer in what was called the Angelina Jolie effect: an immediate uptick in screenings and more women seeking to understand their options for breast reconstruction.
“Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices,” Jolie told Time France. She covered the magazine while promoting Alice Winocour’s film Coutures, out in February, where she plays a filmmaker who is diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history,” she added.
Jolie wrote about her decision to have the surgery in a piece for The New York Times at the time of her procedure. The mom-of-six explained she had initially been given an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.
“My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under five percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she wrote.
“I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among American women, with about one in eight women being diagnosed in their lifetime.
