Angelina Jolie’s breast cancer surgeon reacts to actress embracing her scars

Angelina Jolie’s breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk, has spoken out after the Oscar winner described her double mastectomy scars as “a choice” — a perspective the doctor says reflects a profound and often unseen journey of healing.

Funk, who performed Jolie’s preventive double mastectomy in 2013, reacted to the actress’s recent comments in an Instagram post on Feb. 13, praising her former patient’s reframing of the experience.

“I was her surgeon. I made those scars,” Funk wrote, before reflecting on what Jolie’s words signify more than a decade later. 

“Hearing her now call them a ‘Choice’ — because they mean Life — reveals the full circle of healing most people never see.”

Jolie, 50, made the remarks in a recent interview with French outlet French Inter while promoting her upcoming film Couture. “My scars are a choice I made to stay here as long as I could with my children,” she said.

According to Funk, that statement underscores the bravery behind Jolie’s 2013 decision — one the actress publicly detailed in her New York Times op-ed titled “My Medical Choice.” 

At the time, Jolie revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which significantly increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

“When I first met Angie, she made a brave, deeply personal decision — one that would forever change her body, but also give her a near-guarantee of a breast cancer–free life,” Funk continued. 

“Scars are not disfigurements — they are choices to survive, made visible. They tell stories of courage, love, and second chances.”

The surgeon also invited followers to share their own scar stories, prompting an outpouring of gratitude from patients. 

One commenter recalled seeking Funk out for a second opinion years ago, writing that the doctor’s compassion left a lasting impression.

In her French Inter interview, Jolie emphasized that she has “always been someone more interested in the scars and the life that people carry,” rather than an idealized, unmarked version of existence.

“I’m not drawn to some perfect idea of a life that has no scars,” she said. “I love my scars because of that, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to have the choice to do something proactive about my health.”

Jolie’s personal history has deeply informed her outlook. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at age 56 after battling cancer, a loss the actress has often cited as a driving force behind her preventive surgeries. 

“I lost my mom when I was young, and I’m raising my children without a grandmother,” Jolie noted in the interview.

The themes of illness and resilience also echo in Couture, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.