In an effort to help others find comfort, inspiration, and support on their respective journeys, actress Olivia Munn revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy, multiple outlets report.
Munn shared the news on Instagram, explaining that in February 2023, she took a genetic test that checked her for 90 different cancer genes—and tested negative for all of them, including BRCA, the most well-known breast cancer gene. This past winter, her mammogram results came back normal; two months later, she learned she had breast cancer.
“In the past 10 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,” Munn 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 my emotions that I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clear-headed.”
In the candid and vulnerable post, Munn shared that she has only let people see her when she has had the energy to get dressed and get out of the house or take her son, Malcolm, to the park. (She shares Malcolm with comedian John Mulaney.) “I’ve kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private,” she wrote. “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
The type of cancer she was diagnosed with is aggressive and fast-moving, and Munn revealed that 30 days after her biopsy, she had a double mastectomy. “I went from feeling completely fine one day to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next,” she continued. “I’m lucky. We caught it with enough time that I had options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day.”
Of Mulaney, Munn wrote “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 wrote. “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 were just at the Oscars together—where Mulaney was a presenter—on Sunday and attended the Vanity Fair party afterwards, as the public was none the wiser to what she was going through.
In addition to the slides on Instagram sharing her health update, “Munn’s post showed pictures of her undergoing treatments and an emotional video of her crying while talking to a medical professional,” Entertainment Tonight reports. “Munn’s emotional post ended with a photo of her hospital bedside table, which had a framed picture of Mulaney and their smiling baby boy.” (The couple welcomed Malcolm in 2021.)
In addition to many celebrities sharing their support, Munn’s OB/GYN, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, commented on her post “You are my hero. Your post will save so many lives. I love you so much.”
