Last March, Olivia Munn surprised the world by announcing that she was suffering from breast cancer, diagnosed in 2023 after undergoing a routine mammogram, which had led her to undergo no less than five surgeries in just one year. With her revelation, she hoped that others in her situation would find “comfort” and “inspiration.”
The protagonist of the Newsroom, 43 years old, then faced an “uncertain and overwhelming” future, which although it scared her a little, she also faced with hope. For her and her son, Malcolm, the result of her relationship with comedian John Mulaney; Once it was confirmed that her form of cancer was one of the most aggressive, she decided to undergo a double mastectomy and a total hysterectomy.
The actress wanted to share how she reacted when she saw her body after undergoing a double mastectomy, explaining that that first image was quite a “shock”, even though her doctors told her that she looked “fantastic” at the first post-operative check-up.
“It was a very difficult moment,” he said, when he saw the consequences of the operation, which lasted more than ten hours. “I remember just looking in the mirror with him and not feeling any emotion, just trying to take in what they were saying.”
“When I got home, I got naked and looked in the mirror again. That’s when I completely broke down. I just thought, ‘Oh my God, this is what I look like and I don’t want to look at myself right now.’ That was really difficult,” she continues, ensuring that in recent months she has learned a lot about cancer. “Surprisingly I have only cried twice. I guess I didn’t feel like there was time to cry,” she says.
Speaking to Vogue in a profile published on Sunday, the actress confirmed that she has undergone an oophorectomy and a total hysterectomy, removing her uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
The actress is happy, because she is well and free of cancer thanks to the treatments. Munn began hormone suppression therapy last November, which led to medically induced menopause. Despite the difficulties that this process is causing her to overcome over time, she feels “extremely grateful.”
“I haven’t really felt like I’m back in the body I knew before,” she admits. “But that’s fine, really. “I feel so happy to have gotten through this, that if I have some scars and dents and swimsuits fit differently now, that’s okay, and I’m proud of myself for what I went through.”
Also sharing the details of his diagnosis publicly, which was initially kept private, has been “curative” for his recovery. Furthermore, she continues to trust that appearing publicly will help other women in the same situation, raising awareness about the need to undergo tests for the early detection of this type of cancer.
