Olivia Munn's Emotional 1st Interview Since Breast Cancer Diagnosis
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00:00 Do it for him, do it for your baby.
00:03 This stuff doesn't matter.
00:05 - It's been five weeks since Olivia Munn
00:07 uploaded this video to Instagram,
00:09 sharing her cancer diagnosis and journey.
00:12 Now in an exclusive interview with People Magazine,
00:14 the actress sits down for the first time
00:16 to detail her journey fighting the disease.
00:19 She explained initial tests came back clear
00:22 and negative for any cancer genes.
00:24 Her doctor then suggested another test for risk assessment,
00:27 and that's what she credits for saving her life.
00:30 The additional tests not only showed
00:32 that she did in fact have cancer, but a rare case of it.
00:35 They found cancer in both of her breasts
00:37 in multiple locations,
00:38 leading her and doctors to take an aggressive approach,
00:41 deciding a double mastectomy was Munn's best option.
00:45 - I love you, thank you so much.
00:47 - I love you, too.
00:49 - I love you.
00:50 - I love you, too.
00:51 - I'm gonna be there with you.
00:52 - Let's do it.
00:53 - I'm ready.
00:57 - In the interview, she goes on to say
00:58 nothing could have prepared her
01:00 for how tough the process would be.
01:02 The first part is tough because it's just a lot of pain.
01:05 You know, you've gone through a massive surgery,
01:07 and I didn't really at that time
01:09 think about what I had lost, she told People.
01:12 She then recounts going home for the first time
01:14 to her baby son, Malcolm.
01:16 Malcolm runs up and he said, "Mom, pick you up."
01:18 And I said, "Oh, I can't pick you up."
01:20 She could only sit him on her leg.
01:22 That was probably one of the hardest things
01:24 because all you wanna do is, you know, pick up your baby.
01:26 A week later, she went back to her doctor
01:29 for a post-op checkup where she got her first look
01:32 under her bandages.
01:34 She broke down when she returned home after the visit.
01:36 While she says her body does not look the same,
01:39 even after the reconstruction,
01:41 she is appreciative for the life-saving measure.
01:44 I'm here and I'm okay with that now,
01:45 and I'm extremely happy that I had the option
01:47 to have a double mastectomy.
01:49 I'm extremely happy that I got the opportunity to fight.
01:53 You know, I was given that chance,
01:54 and I know a lot of people in my situation
01:56 don't have that opportunity.
01:58 Now she's undergoing hormone-suppressing treatment
02:01 that will force her into menopause.
02:03 She says she's ready to face head-on.
02:05 The "X-Men" actress gave birth to her
02:07 and husband John Mulaney's son in November 2021.
02:11 Since then, she revealed there wasn't a chance
02:13 to catch her breath,
02:15 having experienced postpartum anxiety
02:17 that on a scale of one to 10, she described at 100.
02:21 Her cancer diagnosis came soon after,
02:23 overcoming that anxiety.
02:25 Munn is grateful for her comedian beau
02:27 who juggled caring for their son
02:29 and for her in the hospital,
02:30 making the process less difficult.
02:33 She also explained how being a mother
02:35 has impacted her through this journey.
02:37 "When I'm with Malcolm,
02:38 it's really the only time your brain
02:40 doesn't think about that you're sick.
02:42 You know, I'm just so happy with him."
02:44 Just days before her announcement,
02:46 Munn stepped out on the red carpet for the Academy Awards.
02:49 She explained she was nervous because of her scars,
02:52 but with the help of her makeup artist
02:54 and after everything she's been through,
02:56 she sees herself differently
02:58 and is much more comfortable in her skin.
03:00 "It's the most comfortable I've ever felt on a red carpet,
03:03 and I think it's the happiest
03:05 that I've ever been on a red carpet."
03:06 She says sharing her story has helped heal her
03:09 and she hopes it will help save women's lives.
03:12 Munn's "People" cover story hits newsstands
03:14 Friday, April 19th.
03:16 (upbeat music)
03:19 (upbeat music)
03:21 (upbeat music)
03:24 (upbeat music)