Angelina Jolie has rarely spoken so openly about her preventive double mastectomy, saying she feels fortunate to have made the decision because it allowed her to stay with her children for as long as possible.

In an interview with France Inter on February 10, the Hollywood star said she values the scars and life marks carried by every person, rather than chasing an idealized vision of a flawless life without wounds.

“I love my scars,” Jolie said. “They represent a choice I made so that I could be with my children for as long as possible. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity—and the autonomy—to take action for my own health.”

The actress, now 50, explained that her decision became even more meaningful after losing her mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, to cancer at a young age. Her children grew up without their grandmother by their side. Bertrand was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999, later developed breast cancer, and passed away in January 2007 at the age of 56.

Reflecting on life’s hardships, Jolie shared: “For me, that’s what life is. If you reach the end of your life without ever making mistakes, without having everything fall apart at times, without scars—then perhaps you haven’t lived fully.”

Jolie shares six children with her former husband Brad Pitt: Maddox (23), Pax (21), Zahara (20), Shiloh (18), and twins Knox and Vivienne (16).

The Oscar-winning actress underwent a preventive double mastectomy in 2013 after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, which doctors said put her risk of developing breast cancer at nearly 90%. At the time, she publicly revealed her story in a widely read op-ed for The New York Times, writing that while the decision was not easy, it was one she never regretted. She noted that her risk dropped from 87% to below 5%, adding that she could reassure her children they no longer had to fear losing their mother to the disease.

Two years later, Jolie chose to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a further preventive measure. For many years, she rarely discussed these medical interventions, but reiterated last October that she has no regrets.

“These were my choices,” she told Hello! magazine. “I’m not saying everyone should do the same, but what matters is having the right to choose. And I don’t regret it.”

In December 2025, Jolie publicly revealed her surgical scars for the first time in a photo shoot for Time France. “I share these scars with many women I love,” she said. “I’m always moved when other women dare to tell their stories.” She added that appearing in Time France was also meant to raise awareness about health, prevention, and breast cancer.