Angelina Jolie Reveals Mastectomy Scar for the First Time in Powerful Time Magazine Feature

Angelina Jolie is marking a new chapter in her long-standing advocacy for women’s health with a powerful visual statement. In a new Time France feature, she reflects on turning 50, her family’s history with cancer, and the personal impact of sharing her scar with the public.

Angelina Jolie is opening up about her health journey in a new Time France cover story—this time, by showing her mastectomy scar publicly for the first time.

The 50-year-old actress, director, and humanitarian appears in a behind-the-scenes video and cover photos shared on Instagram, wearing a black dress that reveals the scar left from her preventative double mastectomy.

“I share these scars with many women I love,” Jolie told Time France. “I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs.”

The feature marks a personal and emotional moment for Jolie, who has spoken in the past about her decision to undergo surgery after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene, which significantly raises the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

“It Wasn’t Easy, But It Was Cathartic”

In a video posted alongside the Time France cover shoot, Jolie reflects on reaching a milestone age while remembering her family’s history with cancer.

"I'm 50 now, and my mother and my grandmother were in chemo by this time,” she said. “I think having scenes where you're having—sitting in the hospital and, you know, that it's not just your family, it's so many other men and women around the world that have this moment.

"And we're having that moment every day, right now. Someone's having that moment. I was very moved by it, and it wasn't easy, but it was cathartic.”

Jolie is currently starring in "Couture," a film in which she plays an American filmmaker who is diagnosed with breast cancer. She said the role brought her closer to the reality many women face.

“Trials, illnesses, and pain are part of our existence, but what matters is how we face them,” she said in the Time France feature. “For me, and for so many women who have experienced this, it was essential to remember that what allows us to get through these times is precisely life itself.”

A Decision Made for Her Future—and Her Family

Back in 2013, Jolie wrote an op-ed for the New York Times where she first shared that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. She had tested positive for the BRCA1 gene after losing her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to breast cancer in 2007.

“The decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,” she wrote. “But it is one I am very happy that I made. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”

She later had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed and has continued to advocate for accessible testing and care.

“Genetic tests and screening are intended to be accessible and affordable for women with obvious risk factors or significant family history,” Jolie told Time. “Access to screening and care should not depend on financial resources or where you live.”

Connecting Through Shared Experiences

In the interview clip shared on Instagram, Angelina Jolie spoke about the importance of using her voice to help others.

“We are here to connect to each other. That's…that really must be the only reason we're here, to understand ourselves and each other better and connect,” she said. “I felt less alone myself in connecting to others on these issues.”