Angelina Jolie Shows Her Mastectomy Scars For The First Time And Here's The Touching Reason

Angelina Jolie just did something that instantly cuts through the awkward silence around breast cancer. For the first time, she’s shown her mastectomy scars, and she’s doing it with the kind of emotional clarity that makes people stop scrolling and actually pay attention.

Back in 2013, the actress from Girl, Interrupted underwent a preventative double mastectomy, and now she’s sharing what those marks mean. In a published TIME France excerpt, Jolie explained that she’s showing her scars to connect with women she loves, and to encourage informed choices. The cover shot, where one breast is covered by her hand, is careful, but the message is anything but quiet.

And the reason behind it is as personal as it is public, especially with her push for BRCA testing to be available to all women.

In 2013, the 50-year-old actress from Girl, Interrupted had a preventative double mastectomy

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

That 2013 preventative double mastectomy is the backdrop, but the real twist is that Jolie is choosing to show the scars now, not later.

In the published excerpt of the interview, Jolie stated: "I share these scars with many women I love. And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs."

"I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer," Jolie powerfully added. The mother-of-six covered one breast with her hand in the TIME cover shot while wearing a low-cut black jumper.

Here is her Instagram post

When TIME France plans to release the full photos and interview later this week, the “why” behind the cover shot suddenly feels even more urgent.

This is similar to the simulation that shows what daily soda does to your body.

Jolie didn’t just talk about her own experience, she tied it to BRCA1 and BRCA2 risk and called out how access to screening and care can depend on money and location.

Jolie has advocated for BRCA testing to be available to all women in a recent interview.

As we mentioned, the full mastectomy photos and interview will be made available later this week

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

That’s why her Instagram post matters here too, because it turns a private medical moment into something women can see and recognize.

"When I shared my experience in 2013, it was to encourage informed choices," added Angelina Jolie. She also went further saying:

"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."

In essence, mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can raise a person's risk of getting cancer. This is truly touching and we'd like to hear your own opinion about it in the comments section below.

Her scars are no longer hidden, and now the conversation finally has a face.

For more shocking personal headlines, see how tributes followed Robert Carradine’s sudden death.