Olivia Munn reflects on her life after being diagnosed with breast cancer and the actress uses her experience to raise awareness. She recently shared more details about her journey, revealing that there were no warning signs before she was diagnosed. She now hopes her story will encourage others to get tested early to potentially save their lives.
Olivia Munn is grateful to be alive
In an interview with Tracy Smith for CBS Sunday Morning, published March 29, the actress gave an update on her health and opened up about her battle with breast cancer. Munn said she is “doing well” three years after being diagnosed.
The “X-Men: Apocalypse” actress said she feels grateful and “lucky” to be alive. “I don’t consider cancer to have taken these things away from me or that it’s unfair that I have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life,” she explained. Munn said she takes medication that can leave her exhausted, but she accepts the feeling.
“I know I’m lucky to be here and I’m so lucky to be in this chaos, I haven’t slept in a few days and I’m exhausted. It’s a real privilege to be alive in the world,” she noted.
The actress had no symptoms before being diagnosed
During a routine mammogram and ultrasound in 2023, Munn’s results came back negative for abnormalities. However, her doctor urged her to take the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Test, a free online tool that assesses a person’s risk of developing breast cancer based on variables including family history, breast density and genetic markers.
A score of 20% or higher is considered high risk, and Munn scored 37.3%. Even though she had no symptoms and was healthy, she was told to have an MRI and a biopsy. The results showed that she had Luminal B cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer that was detected in both of her breasts.
“I decided to have a double mastectomy, as well as an oophorectomy and a partial hysterectomy,” she told Smith, noting that after the procedures, her Tyrer-Cuzick test is now 0 percent.
Olivia Munn initially wanted to keep her diagnosis private
In an interview with Los Angeles Magazine published in early March, the actress revealed that she initially wanted to address her diagnosis privately, telling only her husband, comedian John Mulaney. A few days later, however, she realized that Mulaney needed help to support her in her fight against cancer. “I couldn’t get the words out when I was telling my siblings and my mom, so he did it for me too,” Munn said.
The actress publicly shared her diagnosis in March 2024, telling the world that she had undergone multiple surgeries. She wrote, “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the harder parts before sharing,” adding that she hopes sharing her story will “inspire and support” others going through the same experience.
How John Mulaney Helped Her Through Difficult Times
Munn spoke about Mulaney, telling Smith, “There’s no better person in the world for me than my husband,” adding that he was proactive throughout the process and wanted to be present for all of his appointments with his doctors.
“He has his notebook where he writes down all his ideas for jokes and everything that comes to him throughout the day. You turn it halfway through and there are all these notes about cancer and hormone therapy and everything you can imagine that I need to know,” she shared.
Munn said having a partner with a sense of humor “lightens everything.”
Olivia Munn’s mission to raise breast cancer awareness
Since sharing her journey publicly, she has worked to raise awareness about breast cancer. After sharing the assessment test she took, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) saw a 4,000% increase in visitors to the tool’s website.
In 2024, TIME named Munn as one of the 100 most influential people in healthcare. “I wanted to help as many people as possible prevent their cancer from going to the next level,” she said. The following year, the publication also included Munn in its Women of the Year list.
Currently, the actress is working with Senator Mark Kelly to advocate for the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment test to be included in standard medical care.
