While many of us in Hollywood were in the midst of yet another hectic awards season this year, Angelina Jolie was in a very different place. The mom of six with partner Brad Pitt was undergoing a preventative double mastectomy operation in the hopes of seriously decreasing her chances for developing cancer later in life.
photo: Getty Images
Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. Angelina had recently discovered that she carried a mutated gene (BRCA1) which could later increase her chances for developing breast and ovarian cancer. By having this procedure, Jolie reduced her risk rate for breast cancer from 87% to less than 5%. She now has implants and just some small scars. She recently wrote an op ed piece for the NY Times called My Medical Choice in which she talks about why she had the procedure, what her kids think and how Brad dealt with the crisis, “he is so loving and supportive.” Click here to read about her brave journey.
Y.L.E.O.