Angelina Jolie does not regret undergoing double mastectomy and having ovaries removed
While opening up about the gruelling procedures, actress Angelina Jolie has said she does not regret undergoing a double mastectomy and having her ovaries removed.
Angelina Jolie does not regret undergoing a double mastectomy and having her ovaries removed.
The actress, 50, had the procedure after discovering she carried the BRCA gene mutation that increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Angelina, best known for roles in Tomb Raider and her latest film Maria, reflected on the surgeries in a new interview with Hello! magazine, explaining how her decision came after losing both her mother and grandmother to cancer.
She said: “I did choose to have that (surgery) because I lost my mother and my grandmother very young.
“I have the BRCA gene, so I chose to have a double mastectomy a decade ago. And then I’ve also had my ovaries removed, because that’s what took my mother.”
Agelina’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 aged 56 following a battle with breast and ovarian cancer.
The actress added she felt at peace with her decision to undergo the preventative operations, adding she respected other women’s choices in how they approached their own health.
She said: “Those are my choices. I don’t say everybody should do it that way, but it’s important to have the choice. And I don’t regret it.”
The BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene mutation significantly raises the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, often at younger ages, according to the US National Cancer Institute.
Angelina revealed in 2013 that she had undergone a double mastectomy after doctors estimated she had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.
She later had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2015.
Her new film, Couture, explores similar themes of illness and resilience.
Angelina stars as Maxine, a woman grappling with a breast cancer diagnosis while navigating the emotional and physical toll of chemotherapy.
Speaking about the film, she said: “I think there’s much to say about this, and it is uniting for not just women but for anybody who’s gone through something, or someone who feels vulnerable and alone.”
While the movie is set in the world of haute couture, Angelina said its focus lies beyond fashion.
She said: “I think it’s not really a film about fashion; it’s a film about the fragility of life.
“Fashion, to me, is a metaphor for the world of appearances; a world where you have to hide your wounds.”
