Olivia Munn spoke candidly about her battle with breast cancer, saying she underwent four surgeries within a ten month period.
Doctors diagnosed the famous actress with bilateral breast cancer in 2023, telling her she had luminal B — a fast moving, aggressive cancer — in both breasts. She said she immediately thought about her infant son.
“Having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying,” she told People.
Munn’s 2-year-old son Malcolm has been her inspiration throughout her medical journey, she told People. She admitted her medical journey took a toll.
“I really tried to be prepared, but the truth is that nothing could prepare me for what I would feel like, what it would look like and how I would handle it emotionally. It was a lot tougher than I expected,” she told People.
Munn was two weeks away from starring in a new science-fiction movie when doctors diagnosed her.
“You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time,” she said. “It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.”
That is precisely what she did. Within 30 days of receiving her diagnosis, she underwent a lymph node dissection, a nipple delay procedure to save her nipples and a double mastectomy. Her battle was daunting, and the decisions she had to make were difficult for the famous actress to process.
“I had amazing doctors, but it was still a negotiation sometimes on what we are doing,” she told People.
She recalled feeling confused as she tried to decide the fate of her future under such pressure, particularly regarding the nipple delay.
“But I’m glad I did. I want to give myself the best shot of keeping the parts of me that I can keep,” Munn told People.
“There’s so much information, and you’re making these huge decisions for the rest of your life.”
The famous actress also began hormone suppression therapy to mitigate her risk for developing cancer in the future, and that resulted in medically-induced menopause — yet another thing she has had to work through.
“I’m constantly thinking it’s hot, my hair is thinning and I’m tired a lot,” she said, before crediting her son for keeping her motivated to go on. (RELATED: Christie Brinkley Reveals Devastating Health Update)
“When I’m with him, it’s the only time my brain doesn’t think about being sick. I’m just so happy with him. And it puts a lot of stuff into perspective,” she told People. “Because if my body changes, I’m still his mom. If I have hot flashes, I’m still his mom. If I lose my hair, I’m still his mom. That’s really what matters the most to me. I get to be here for him.”