Olivia Munn shares breast cancer diagnosis, reveals she had double mastectomy
Olivia Munn is opening up about her nearly year-long private battle with breast cancer.
The "X-Men: Apocalypse" actress, 43, revealed in an Instagram post Wednesday that she was diagnosed with the disease in April 2023. In the post, she shared several photos and a video of her in the hospital, as well as a lengthy statement detailing all she had been through since receiving the news.
"I was diagnosed with breast cancer," she captioned the post. "I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey."
In her statement, Munn explained that she and her sister Sara did genetic testing that "checks you for 90 different cancer genes" in February 2023, which all came back negative, including one for the BRCA gene. She said her most recent mammogram around that time had also been negative.
Two months later, she said she was diagnosed with an "aggressive, fast moving cancer" known as Luminal B.
The "Newsroom" actress said she has undergone four surgeries, including a double mastectomy, in the months since her diagnosis.
"In the past ten months I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I ever could have imagined," she wrote. "Surprisingly, I've only cried twice. I guess I haven't felt like there was time to cry. My focus narrowed and I tabled any emotions that I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clearheaded."
Munn said she decided to keep her cancer battle private because she "needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing."
The former "Daily Show" correspondent credited her OB-GYN, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, for helping to save her life.
Munn said she is "lucky" because her cancer was caught early enough for her to have options.
"I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day," she added.
"I'm so thankful to my friends and family for loving me through this," the former G4 host said, going on to shout out her boyfriend John Mulaney for supporting her every step of the way.
"I'm so thankful to John for the nights he spent researching what every operation and medication meant and what side effects and recovery I could expect," she said of the comedian. "For being there before I went into each surgery and being there when I woke up, always placing framed photos of our little boy Malcolm so it would be the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes."
Munn and Mulaney welcomed their son Malcolm in November 2021.
Mulaney took to the comments of Munn's post to support her after she made the announcement, writing, "Thank you for fighting so hard to be here for us. Malc and I adore you."
