Angelina Jolie, 50, Opens up About Her Scars Showing a Level of Healing Rarely Seen
Angelina Jolie has once again sparked a global conversation regarding women’s health and the emotional journey of recovery. In a recent interview with French Inter, the Oscar-winning actress reflected on her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy over a decade ago.
She described her surgical scars as a choice I made to stay here as long as I could with my children, emphasizing that she views them as a symbol of life rather than a reminder of illness.
Her long-time surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk, was quick to show public support for the actress’s perspective. Funk, who performed the life-saving procedure, took to Instagram on February 13 to share her own reaction to Jolie’s words.
She noted that hearing her former patient call the marks a Choice reveals a full circle of healing most people never see. The doctor argued that such scars should be viewed as choices to survive, made visible rather than disfigurements, as they tell stories of second chances.
Jolie’s proactive health journey began in 2013 after she discovered she carried the BRCA1 “faulty gene,” which significantly increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Having lost her mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, to the disease at just 56, Jolie was determined to avoid the same fate for the sake of her own six children.
She has consistently maintained that she is grateful that I had the opportunity to have the choice to do something proactive regarding her genetic predisposition. In her latest film, Couture, Jolie draws on these deeply personal experiences to portray Maxine Walker, a filmmaker who receives a cancer diagnosis during Paris Fashion Week.
The movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in late 2025, is described as a very personal story for the actress. It explores the intersecting lives of three women and avoids the traditional tropes of sadness, focusing instead on the quiet resilience and solidarity of those navigating a health crisis.
As of this year, Angelina Jolie is entering a new chapter of her life as her youngest children, twins Vivienne and Knox, prepare to turn 18 in July. Reports suggest the actress is finally looking to move abroad permanently, having previously stated that she no longer recognizes America and wishes to raise her family away from the Hollywood spotlight.
She has expressed a deep desire to spend more time in Cambodia, where her humanitarian work and journey into motherhood originally began. In addition to her move, Jolie’s professional calendar for this year is packed with high-octane projects.
She is currently producing and starring in the dark thriller Sunny, directed by Eva Sørhaug, where she plays a mother forced to navigate a violent criminal underworld to protect her sons. Fans are also anticipating her collaboration with director Doug Liman in the espionage thriller The Initiative, which is slated to begin principal photography later this year.
Beyond her film roles, Jolie remains a vocal advocate for global women’s rights and humanitarian aid. She recently spoke out against international budget cuts for refugee programs and continues to mentor young artists through her various production ventures.
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