Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since revealing that she'd had a double mastectomy. The actress joined Brad Pitt on the red carpet in Leicester Square for the premiere of his new film World War Z.
Brad told reporters: "The fact that she would not be frightened of this, what she would have to go through to do this, to take this spectre away from our family, I get very emotional about it. It means the world to me."
Angelina, who wore black Saint Laurent, was humble at the occasion, saying: "I'm here for Brad. I'm so proud of him." She added that she was "feeling great".
And speaking of her decision to go public about her situation, she said: "If it did some good then I'm pleased".
The actress missed the funeral of her aunt, who died of cancer last week, to be in London.
"Angelina will be in London on Sunday so she won't be able to attend but she has been in touch with us and with various other members of the family, which has obviously been lovely and has meant a lot to us," the family said.
The aunt and "unsung heroine" of actress Angelina Jolie lost her battle with breast cancer early on Sunday morning. Debbie Martin, 61, died hours after being taken off her life support machine at a Californian hospital, just weeks after Oscar-winning actress Jolie underwent a double mastectomy after being identified as carrying the BRCA1 cancer gene.
Jolie's uncle, Bill Martin, told E! News: "Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day. They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice."
Referring to Jolie's recent surgery, Bill added: "Debbie is the unsung heroine of this story because she was the first woman in the Bertrand family to attempt preventative surgery. She has been a shining example to Angelina."
Jolie also lost her beloved mother, Marchelline Bertrand, to the disease in 2007, as well as her grandmother and great-grandmother.
The 37-year-old starlet discovered in February that she too had a high chance of developing breast cancer, which led to her brave decision to undergo preventative surgery. It has been reported that Jolie now plans to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy, where the ovaries are removed to further decrease her chances of developing cancer.
Brad Pitt has spoken out about his happy family life following Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy.
His fiancée Jolie last week revealed that she had undergone three months of surgery due to her high risk of developing breast cancer.
In his first print interview since the revelation, Pitt said that he's the happiest he's ever been.
"I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier," he said.
"I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in the house… there's constant chatter in our house, whether it's giggling or screaming or crying or banging.
"I love it. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they're gone. I hate it. Maybe it's nice to be in a hotel room for a day - 'Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper.' But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life."
Speaking to USA Today, Pitt praised Jolie for her actions.
"We set up our own little post-op recovery that became pretty fun. You make an adventure out of it," he said.
"I'm quite emotional about it, of course. She could have stayed absolutely private about it and I don't think anyone would have been none the wiser with such good results.
"But it was really important to her to share the story and that others would understand it doesn't have to be a scary thing. In fact, it can be an empowering thing, and something that makes you stronger and us stronger."
Angelina Jolie is set to play her late mother, the actress Marcheline Bertrand, who died from cancer aged just 56 in 2007.
The Oscar-winning actress, who revealed that she had undergone a double mastectomy in order to reduce her risk of contracting breast cancer, will star in the film, which is set to be produced by Plan B, Brad Pitt's production company.
Aside from being an actress, Jolie's mother Bertrand dedicated her life to humanitarian causes, including helping female Afghan refugees. She also launched the Give Love Give Life organisation, which aims to raise awareness and help combat gynaecological cancers.
Angelina, 37, has also announced that she now plans to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy, where the ovaries are removed to further decrease her chances of developing cancer.
She said: "I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer was higher than my risk of ovarian cancer and the surgery is much more complex."
Brad Pitt has opened up about his partner Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy, describing her as "absolutely heroic" for making the decision in order to decrease the chance of her developing cancer.
Jolie wrote an article to the New York Times, in which she revealed that she had elected to have the risky procedure after discovering that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer.
Pitt has since praised Jolie for going through the ordeal, and her determination to help other women make their own choices by getting tested for the gene.
He added that he prays Jolie has a "long and healthy life".
Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: "Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic.
"I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."
Jolie's father, Jon Voight, also revealed that he only learned of his daughter's medical ordeal after reading her article yesterday, despite having seen her earlier this week.
"My love and admiration for my daughter can't be explained in words," the actor told the New York Daily News.
"I saw her two days ago with my son Jamie. We all got together for his birthday, with her and Brad [Pitt]. But I didn't know. It wasn't obvious at all.
"I found out [Tuesday] morning. I was as surprised as anyone and deeply moved by the way she's handled this. She's a very extraordinary person, the way she examined it and what she shared."
It has been rumoured that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are planning to marry sooner rather than later after sharing the news.
Angelina Jolie has confirmed that she recently underwent a double mastectomy after tests showed that she had an 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer.
The Oscar-winning actress wrote a column in the New York Times (released today) titled 'My Medical Choice', which revealed that she wanted to avoid the same fate as her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died aged 56 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Jolie learned that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 cancer gene, meaning that she was at an extremely high risk of developing breast cancer. The Girl, Interrupted star also revealed that she has a 50 per cent chance of contracting ovarian cancer.
"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made," she wrote.
"My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.
"I have always told [my children] not to worry, but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex."
Jolie underwent three months of surgery, managing to keep her treatment secret until the release of her essay. Her revelation will likely hugely increase awareness around breast and ovarian cancer and the possible preventative measures.
Angelina also praised her partner Brad Pitt for his love and support throughout her treatment.
"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.
"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options."
Brad told reporters: "The fact that she would not be frightened of this, what she would have to go through to do this, to take this spectre away from our family, I get very emotional about it. It means the world to me."
Angelina, who wore black Saint Laurent, was humble at the occasion, saying: "I'm here for Brad. I'm so proud of him." She added that she was "feeling great".
And speaking of her decision to go public about her situation, she said: "If it did some good then I'm pleased".
The actress missed the funeral of her aunt, who died of cancer last week, to be in London.
"Angelina will be in London on Sunday so she won't be able to attend but she has been in touch with us and with various other members of the family, which has obviously been lovely and has meant a lot to us," the family said.
The aunt and "unsung heroine" of actress Angelina Jolie lost her battle with breast cancer early on Sunday morning. Debbie Martin, 61, died hours after being taken off her life support machine at a Californian hospital, just weeks after Oscar-winning actress Jolie underwent a double mastectomy after being identified as carrying the BRCA1 cancer gene.
Jolie's uncle, Bill Martin, told E! News: "Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day. They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice."
Referring to Jolie's recent surgery, Bill added: "Debbie is the unsung heroine of this story because she was the first woman in the Bertrand family to attempt preventative surgery. She has been a shining example to Angelina."
Jolie also lost her beloved mother, Marchelline Bertrand, to the disease in 2007, as well as her grandmother and great-grandmother.
The 37-year-old starlet discovered in February that she too had a high chance of developing breast cancer, which led to her brave decision to undergo preventative surgery. It has been reported that Jolie now plans to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy, where the ovaries are removed to further decrease her chances of developing cancer.
Brad Pitt has spoken out about his happy family life following Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy.
His fiancée Jolie last week revealed that she had undergone three months of surgery due to her high risk of developing breast cancer.
In his first print interview since the revelation, Pitt said that he's the happiest he's ever been.
"I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier," he said.
"I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in the house… there's constant chatter in our house, whether it's giggling or screaming or crying or banging.
"I love it. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they're gone. I hate it. Maybe it's nice to be in a hotel room for a day - 'Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper.' But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life."
Speaking to USA Today, Pitt praised Jolie for her actions.
"We set up our own little post-op recovery that became pretty fun. You make an adventure out of it," he said.
"I'm quite emotional about it, of course. She could have stayed absolutely private about it and I don't think anyone would have been none the wiser with such good results.
"But it was really important to her to share the story and that others would understand it doesn't have to be a scary thing. In fact, it can be an empowering thing, and something that makes you stronger and us stronger."
Angelina Jolie is set to play her late mother, the actress Marcheline Bertrand, who died from cancer aged just 56 in 2007.
The Oscar-winning actress, who revealed that she had undergone a double mastectomy in order to reduce her risk of contracting breast cancer, will star in the film, which is set to be produced by Plan B, Brad Pitt's production company.
Aside from being an actress, Jolie's mother Bertrand dedicated her life to humanitarian causes, including helping female Afghan refugees. She also launched the Give Love Give Life organisation, which aims to raise awareness and help combat gynaecological cancers.
Angelina, 37, has also announced that she now plans to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy, where the ovaries are removed to further decrease her chances of developing cancer.
She said: "I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer was higher than my risk of ovarian cancer and the surgery is much more complex."
Brad Pitt has opened up about his partner Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy, describing her as "absolutely heroic" for making the decision in order to decrease the chance of her developing cancer.
Jolie wrote an article to the New York Times, in which she revealed that she had elected to have the risky procedure after discovering that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer.
Pitt has since praised Jolie for going through the ordeal, and her determination to help other women make their own choices by getting tested for the gene.
He added that he prays Jolie has a "long and healthy life".
Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: "Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic.
"I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."
Jolie's father, Jon Voight, also revealed that he only learned of his daughter's medical ordeal after reading her article yesterday, despite having seen her earlier this week.
"My love and admiration for my daughter can't be explained in words," the actor told the New York Daily News.
"I saw her two days ago with my son Jamie. We all got together for his birthday, with her and Brad [Pitt]. But I didn't know. It wasn't obvious at all.
"I found out [Tuesday] morning. I was as surprised as anyone and deeply moved by the way she's handled this. She's a very extraordinary person, the way she examined it and what she shared."
It has been rumoured that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are planning to marry sooner rather than later after sharing the news.
Angelina Jolie has confirmed that she recently underwent a double mastectomy after tests showed that she had an 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer.
The Oscar-winning actress wrote a column in the New York Times (released today) titled 'My Medical Choice', which revealed that she wanted to avoid the same fate as her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died aged 56 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Jolie learned that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 cancer gene, meaning that she was at an extremely high risk of developing breast cancer. The Girl, Interrupted star also revealed that she has a 50 per cent chance of contracting ovarian cancer.
"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made," she wrote.
"My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.
"I have always told [my children] not to worry, but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex."
Jolie underwent three months of surgery, managing to keep her treatment secret until the release of her essay. Her revelation will likely hugely increase awareness around breast and ovarian cancer and the possible preventative measures.
Angelina also praised her partner Brad Pitt for his love and support throughout her treatment.
"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.
"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options."
