Olivia Munn says doctor saved her life with “aggressive” cancer treatment

Olivia Munn has said the doctor who recommended aggressive treatment for her breast cancer “literally saved my life”.

The actor shared news of her diagnosis in March, confirming on social media that she had first received the information in April 2023, after having taken a genetic test “in an effort to be proactive about my health”.

While she passed the initial test, she found out two months later that she had breast cancer.

The actor, known for her role as Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as films including The Predator, Date Night and Magic Mike, wrote: “In the past ten 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.”

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

A month after her biopsy, Munn underwent a 10-hour double mastectomy surgery. “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,” she said.

And now, in an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Munn gave her profound thanks to her medical team, and one woman in particular who strongly urged her to take aggressive treatment in order to be able to spend time with her two-year-old child, who she shares with her partner, the comedian John Mulaney.

“She literally saved my life,” an emotional Munn said. “She’s my guardian angel.”

She has also urged women to “ask your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score.” She shared the following advice: “Dr. Aliabadi says that if the number is greater than 20 per cent, you need annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.”

Munn is also known for her role in Aaron Sorkin’s HBO satire The Newsroom, as well as being a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2010 to 2011.