Angelina Jolie has revealed why she is publicly showing her mastectomy scars for the first time, more than a decade after undergoing preventive surgery to reduce her risk of breast cancer.
In an interview with Time France, the 50-year-old actress said she wanted to stand in solidarity with other women and raise awareness about breast health and early screening. Jolie underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which doctors said significantly increased her risk of developing breast cancer.
“I share these scars with many women I love,” Jolie said, adding that access to genetic testing and screening should be affordable and widely available. She later also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure.
By sharing her experience, Jolie says she hopes to empower women to seek information and testing before illness strikes.
Of course, advocacy and her work spreading awareness are just one of pillar of Jolie's now considerably long career. Click through this gallery to see how she's evolved from a rebellious star into one of Hollywood’s most influential role models.