Angelina Jolie Details Decision to Reveal Double Mastectomy Scars For the First Time

In a cover story for the first issue of TIME France, 50-year-old actress unveiled her surgical scars over 10 years after she had the procedure, and explained why she decided to share them publicly.

"I share these scars with many women I love. And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs," Jolie said, per a translation. "I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer."

TIME France will release the interview in full in its first issue of the magazine on Thursday, and will feature Jolie's mastecomy scars.

The Oscar winner's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at 56 following a battle with ovarian and breast cancer. Her aunt died of breast cancer, and her grandmother died of ovarian cancer.

In 2013, Jolie revealed she underwent a double mastectomy after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene, which dramatically increases a woman's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie had a salpingo-oophorectomy two years later, removing an ovary and a fallopian tube, to prevent ovarian cancer.

Following her mastectomy, the Girl, Interrupted star -- who shares share Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, as well as twins Vivienne and Knox, 17, with Brad Pitt -- penned an op-ed for The New York Times, in which she opened up about her decisiont o have the operation.

"My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%," Jolie wrote at the time. "I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer. I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."

During her interview with TIME France, the Maria star said the BRCA screening should "absolutely" be offered to women during their routine screenings.

"Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices: genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history," she explained.

"When I shared my experience in 2013, it was to encourage informed choices," Jolie added. "Healthcare decisions must be personal, and women must have the information and support they need to make those choices. Access to screening and care should not depend on financial resources or where someone lives."

The Maleficent actress will next be seen in the French film, Couture. In the film, which is directed by Alice Winocour, Jolie potrays an American filmmaker, Maxine Walker, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Jolie said the film was a "very personal story" for her, noting her family's battles with cancer.

"I immediately felt a deep connection with Maxine Walker, my character. I've always admired Alice's work; she's a brilliant director, and her approach to illness is unique," she told TIME France. "Too often, films about women's struggles -- especially cancer -- talk about endings and sadness, rarely about life. Alice has made a film about life, and that's precisely why the sensitive subjects it addresses are handled with such delicacy. Hardships, illnesses, and pain are part of our existence, but what matters is how we face them. 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."

"My mother was ill for years. One evening, when she was being asked about her chemotherapy, she became very emotional and told me she would have preferred to talk about something else; she felt as though the illness was becoming her entire identity," Jolie recalled. "I love this film because it tells a story that goes far beyond the journey of a sick person: it shows life. It was this luminous perspective that touched me and made me want to play this role.

Couture will be released in February 2026 in France.