Olivia Munn reveals she had a double mastectomy following an aggressive breast cancer diagnosis

Olivia Munn, star of “X-Men: The Apocalypse” and the HBO series “The Newsroom,” revealed in a lengthy post to Instagram on Wednesday that she underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer last year.

Sharing her story in the hope that “it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey,” Munn gives thanks to her husband, comedian John Mulaney, with whom she shares a 2-year-old son, crediting him for doing independent research on the four surgeries she’s had in the past ten months, as well as her medications, to get a better understanding of their recovery time and side effects.

According to her statement, in February 2023, Munn took a genetic test that checked for cancer genes — including BRCA, the most well-known breast cancer gene — and tested negative across the board, only to find out two months later that she had breast cancer. 

“I’ve kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private,” she writes. “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”

Munn highlights the importance of people asking their doctors to calculate their breast cancer risk assessment score, having done so at the urging of her obstetrician-gynecologist, which sent her down a health plan that included an M.R.I, an ultrasound, and a biopsy, all aiding in early detection.

“The fact that she did saved my life,” Munn says of her doctor’s pro-active testing.