Actress Angelina Jolie has offered rare public reflections on the preventative double mastectomy she underwent in 2013, addressing the personal significance of the procedure more than a decade later.
In a recent interview with France Inter, the 50-year-old Academy Award winner discussed the surgical scars resulting from the operation, which she publicly revealed for the first time in December 2025 during a feature with Time France. Jolie characterized the scars as “a choice” for which she remains “grateful,” explaining that they represent a proactive decision made to extend her life for the benefit of her children.
“I’ve always been someone more interested in the scars and the life that people carry,” she stated, noting that she is not drawn to the notion of a life devoid of hardship. She described her scars as emblematic of her decision “to stay here as long as I could” for her family, adding that she values them for that reason.
Jolie’s decision to undergo the bilateral mastectomy followed the discovery that she carries a BRCA1 gene mutation, which significantly increased her statistical risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. At the time, medical estimates indicated an approximate 87 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. She subsequently underwent reconstructive surgery.
In March 2015, Jolie elected to undergo a further preventative procedure involving the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes after medical testing revealed potential anomalies associated with the CA-125 protein marker. She detailed that experience in a New York Times opinion piece titled Diary of a Surgery, explaining that her family history—including the deaths of her mother, grandmother, and aunt from cancer—heavily informed her decision-making process.
Jolie has emphasized that her ability to access genetic testing and preventative surgery was meaningful, particularly given that her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of cancer at age 56. She has since advocated for broader access to BRCA screening and preventative healthcare, asserting that women should have the information and resources necessary to make informed medical decisions irrespective of financial status or geographic location.
Addressing the physical consequences of her surgeries, Jolie acknowledged that she entered menopause following the removal of her ovaries and has utilized hormone replacement therapy as part of her ongoing care. She has expressed acceptance of the medical and physiological changes, framing them as part of life rather than a source of fear.
Jolie shares six children with her former spouse, Brad Pitt, and has previously stated that her primary motivation in pursuing preventative treatment was to reduce the likelihood that her children would experience the loss of a parent due to cancer.
In discussing her experience publicly, Jolie reiterated that healthcare decisions are inherently personal and should be grounded in informed choice, supported by accessible screening and comprehensive medical guidance.#newsafro_
