Olivia Munn Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Emotional Post: 'Haven't Felt Like There Was Time to Cry'
Olivia Munn has breast cancer and has been in treatment for a year, the actress shared in a lengthy, vulnerable Instagram post today. Her treatment has required four surgeries, including a double mastectomy, and Munn is revealing the news to encourage others. “I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey,” she wrote.
Munn was diagnosed in March 2023 after her OBGYN, Dr. Tha?s Aliabadi, decided to calculate Munn’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. “The fact that she did saved my life,” says Munn. If not for the test, Munn explained, she wouldn’t have found the cancer until her next mammogram a year later.
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Munn’s score — calculated with factors like age, familial breast cancer history, and the age at which she had her first child — was high enough that Dr. Aliabadi sent her to get an MRI, which led to a biopsy that found Luminal B cancer in both breasts. “Luminal B is an aggressive, fast moving cancer,” Munn explained. She underwent a double mastectomy 30 days later.
“I went from feeling completely fine one day, to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next,” Munn wrote.
Emotionally, Munn says she’s mostly numbed herself to the experience. “Surprisingly, I’ve only cried twice,” she said. “I guess I haven’t felt like there was time to cry.” She narrowed her focus and “tabled” the emotions she thought would get in the way of staying clearheaded, instead using her mental energy to learn “more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined.”
The news comes three days after the Oscars, which Munn attended with boyfriend John Mulaney, with whom she shares a two-year-old son, Malcolm. Munn explained that she needed to “catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts” of treatment before sharing the diagnosis with fans, then went on to thank Mulaney as well as her friends and family for their support.
“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. 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 also shared gratitude for her medical team, calling Aliabadi her “guardian angel.”
“I’m lucky. We caught it with enough time that I had options,” Munn wrote. “I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day,” she added, encouraging others to take the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment as well. While doctors can administer the test and give you the best estimate of your risk, you can also calculate your score yourself with online tools, including from the National Cancer Institute.
Munn’s ultimate message is to be proactive about your health, and she’s sharing her own painful experience to get that across. Her post includes photos in treatment rooms and a video of Munn crying in a hospital room, and comments poured in thanking the actress for her vulnerability. “Thank you for sharing mama. We gotchu,” wrote Gabrielle Union. “You are brave and strong and I’m thankful you are ok. Sending all the love,” added Olympian Lindsey Vonn.
Jessica Chastain also called out Munn’s generosity in sharing her story. “I believe in doing so, you’ve saved lives,” she wrote, a sentiment echoed by Munn’s doctor, Aliabadi, who commented, “You are my hero. Your post will save so many lives. I love you so much.”
Before you go, shop these gifts and products for the breast cancer patient or survivor in your life:
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