Olivia Munn is ready to shine a light on her breast cancer journey. More than a month after first sharing her diagnosis with the world, the actress is opening up about her health and the lessons she’s learned thus far.
“I was not someone who obsessed over death or was afraid of it in any way, [but] having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying,” Olivia, 43, shared with PEOPLE in an interview published Wednesday, April 17. “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. It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.”
For Olivia, who shares 2-year-old son Malcolm with partner John Mulaney, learning she had breast cancer in 2023 was a surprise after she tested negative for the BRCA gene and received a clean mammogram result just three months prior.
With guidance from her ob-gyn, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, Olivia got an additional screening that revealed bilateral breast cancer.
“I was walking around thinking that I had no breast cancer,” she said. “I did all the tests that I knew about.”
Within 30 days of her diagnosis, The Newsroom star underwent a lymph node dissection, a nipple delay procedure and a double mastectomy.
Thus far, Olivia’s care has not required radiation or chemotherapy. In November 2023, however, the X-Men: Apocalypse actress began taking a hormone suppression therapy to limit her future risk. According to PEOPLE, the treatment has put her into medically induced menopause.
As Olivia explained, “I’m constantly thinking it’s hot, my hair is thinning and I’m tired a lot.”
While the actress kept her diagnosis private for several months, she’s grateful to have the opportunity to raise awareness and remind fans to utilize health screenings.
She’s also thankful for John, 41, and his support as she navigated the highs and lows of breast cancer.
“It would’ve felt like climbing an iceberg without him,” she said. “I don’t think he had a moment to himself, between being an incredibly hands-on father and going to and from the hospital—taking Malcolm to the park, putting him to nap, driving to Cedars-Sinai, hanging out with me, going home, putting Malcolm to bed, coming back to me. And he did it all happily.”
