Angelina Jolie Reveals Her Mastectomy Scars for the First Time
Angelina Jolie has openly shared her mastectomy scars for the first time in a new interview with TIME France, more than a decade after undergoing a preventive double mastectomy in 2013. The Oscar-winning actress, 50, spoke about why she decided to reveal the results now and what it means to her.
“I share these scars with many women I love,” Jolie told the magazine. “And I’m always moved when I see other women share theirs.” She added, “I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer.”
Jolie’s decision to undergo the surgery was influenced by her family history. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away at age 56 from cancer. Jolie revealed in a 2013 New York Times op-ed that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
At the time, she explained that the surgery reduced her risk from 87 percent to under 5 percent. “I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,” she wrote. “But it is one I am very happy that I made.”
In 2015, Jolie also underwent preventive surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to lower her risk of ovarian cancer. In the recent interview, she emphasized the importance of accessible genetic testing and screenings. “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,” Jolie said.
“Healthcare decisions must be personal, and women must have the information and support they need to make those choices. Access to screening and care should not depend on financial resources or where someone lives.”
Jolie is set to star in the upcoming French film Couture, directed by Alice Winocour, which will be released in February 2026. In the film, Jolie plays Maxine Walker, an American filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer.
She praised the director for handling the story with care and focusing on life rather than just illness. “Too often, films about women’s struggles — especially cancer — talk about endings and sadness, rarely about life,” she said. “Hardships, illnesses, and pain are part of our existence, but what matters is how we face them.”
Reflecting on her mother’s experience, Jolie shared, “One evening, when she was being asked about her chemotherapy, she became very emotional and told me she would have preferred to talk about something else; she felt as though the illness was becoming her entire identity. I love this film because it tells a story that goes far beyond the journey of a sick person: it shows life. It was this luminous perspective that touched me and made me want to play this role.”
Jolie’s decision to publicly show her scars is a powerful reminder of the importance of awareness, prevention, and personal choice in women’s health. Her openness may encourage other women to take control of their own health journeys.
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