Angelina Jolie has once again brought global attention to women's health by making a deeply personal decision public. The actor has finally revealed her mastectomy scars for the first time in a striking new photoshoot for an international magazine.
Angelina Jolie On Showing Her Mastectomy Scars
Angelina Jolie appears on the inaugural cover of Time Magazine France. In the photoshoot, she is seen openly displaying the scars from her double mastectomy.
Explaining why she chose to share this part of her story now, Angelina Jolie spoke about the emotional connection she feels with other women who have faced similar experiences. "I share these scars with many women I love," she said. "And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs."
When Angelina Jolie Underwent Preventive Surgery
Angelina Jolie's decision to opt for preventive surgery was closely linked to her family's history with cancer. Her mother, actor Marcheline Bertrand, passed away in 2007 at the age of 56 following a battle with cancer.
In her widely read 2013 New York Times op-ed, My Medical Choice, the actress revealed that medical tests had shown she carried a "faulty gene," BRCA1, which significantly increased her likelihood of developing breast cancer.
"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy," she wrote at the time. "But it is one I am very happy that I made."
In the same piece, the Maleficent actress explained how the surgery dramatically reduced her risk and offered reassurance for her children. "My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent," she wrote. "I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."
Her focus on prevention continued in 2015, when she chose to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to lower the risk of ovarian cancer.
Calling For Accessible Genetic Screening
In her recent interview, Angelina Jolie used her platform to push for broader access to genetic testing and health screening, especially for women with a strong family history of cancer.
"Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices: genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history," she told Time France.
Looking back at her decision to speak publicly about her health in 2013, Angelina Jolie emphasised that her goal has always been to help women make informed decisions by ensuring they have access to the right knowledge and resources.
ALSO READ: Angelina Jolie To Sell $24.5 Million Los Angeles Home And Relocate Out Of The US