Published Aug 16, 2023

Angelina Jolie Is Now Living The Dream She Sacrificed So Much To Achieve– There For Kids & Now Working With Daughter Vivienne

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The Importance of Cancer Prevention & Genetic Risk

Angelina Jolie, 48,recently signed on as a the lead producer of the soon-to-come Broadway adaptation of “The Outsiders.” And her youngest daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt will work as her assistant.
Jolie, a mom of six who previously had her ovaries and breast removed after her mom, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away after battling breast and ovarian cancers, said Vivienne reminds her of her mother.
Back in May, Jolie honored her mom in an emotional Instagram post on what would have been her 73rd birthday, marking 10 years since the actress underwent a preventive mastectomy due to her genetic risk of developing the diseases too. Jolie had tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation.
Jolie has since become a previvor with her preventive surgeries. She also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.
BRCA is two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). According to the National Cancer Institute, BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene 1 – which Jolie tested positive for) and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene 2) are genes that produce proteins that work to repair damaged DNA.

Angelina Jolie is now living the dream she sacrificed so much to achieve. The 48-year-old award-winning actress who lost her mother to cancer and famously had her breasts and ovaries removed as a form of prevention recently signed on as a the lead producer of the soon-to-come Broadway adaptation of “The Outsiders.” And now she’s revealed her youngest daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt will work as her assistant.

Jolie is a mother of six who previously had her ovaries and breast removed after her mom, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away after battling breast and ovarian cancers.

RELATED: 10 Years After Preventive Mastectomy, Angelina Jolie, 47, Marks Mom’s Death From Cancer With Moving Message to Get Mammograms

The “Girl, Interrupted” star is mom to 15-year-old Vivienne, her youngest daughter who is twins with her son Knox, along with her other four children (which she also shares with ex Brad Pitt), 17-year-old Shiloh, 18-year-old Zahara, 19-year-old Pax, and 22-year-old Maddox.

Angelina Jolie has hired her youngest daughter as her assistant for an upcoming project (Getty Images)

As for Jolie’s new career move with her daughter, she said in a statement obtained by Page Six, “Viv reminds me of my mother in that she isn’t focused on being the center of attention but in being a support to other creatives.”

A source close to Jolie, who lost her mother Marcheline Bertrand cancer back in 2007, told the entertainment news outlet that her Vivienne “fell in love” with a musical adaptation of “The Outsiders” earlier this year.

Vivienne’s admiration for the musical arose when she joined her mom at a world premiere of the musical, which based on S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and the 1983 film adaptation directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s, according to the insider.

“Angelina has been taking her daughter Vivienne to the theater since she was a little girl. Angelina and Vivienne met with S.E. Hinton, who was around Vivienne’s age when she wrote the novel,” the source added.

Another source told Page Six, that the inspiration for picking her daughter to be her assistant is because “She wants to ensure the team is listening and working with young people every step of the way, and that their voices are leading in bringing this production to life on Broadway.”

(l-r) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Knox Jolie-Pitt pictured in October 2021(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

Jolie said in a statement to Deadline that she feels “very fortunate” to join the “special production,” which is being directed by theater director Danya Taymor.

“I studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute where I realized my first love, as a performer, was the theatre. I had not found a way back until now,” Jolie said in her statement. “I hope to be able to contribute while continuing to learn from this amazing team, who I have been working with since my daughter brought me to see the show at La Jolla Playhouse.

“I can’t begin to express how excited I am for this musical to make its Broadway debut and look forward to sharing this new adaptation of The Outsiders with the world,” she added.

Remembering Angelina Jolie’s Late Mother

Back in May, Jolie honored her mom in an emotional Instagram post on what would have been her 73rd birthday, marking 10 years since the actress underwent a preventive mastectomy due to her genetic risk of developing the diseases too. She had tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation.

Jolie, a previvor, underwent preventive surgeries, including having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.

On this year’s World Ovarian Cancer Day, Jolie spread awareness for cancer prevention with a throwback photo of her and her mom, who passed away at age 56.

She captioned the post, “Tomorrow would have been my mother’s 73rd birthday. She passed away 15 years ago, after a long struggle with breast and ovarian cancer.”

The image featured in the post was a polaroid image of Jolie as a young girl, wearing a white dress and adorable hat, sitting on the floor alongside her mom.

“In June, I will be a month away from the age when she was diagnosed. I have had preventive surgeries to try to lessen chances but I continue to have check ups,” she wrote. “My mom loved Hendrix. And would always sign her letters Kiss the Sky. It took on new meaning after she passed. Sending my love to those who have also lost loved ones and strength to those who are fighting at this very moment for their lives and the lives of those they love.”

Her post concluded with advice to all other women to “look after yourself and go for your mammograms and blood tests or ultrasounds, particularly if you have a family history of cancer.”

Jolie previously went public about her mom’s death in an Op-Ed for The New York Times.

“I lost my mother in my thirties. When I look back to that time, I can see how much her death changed me. It was not sudden, but so much shifted inside. Losing a mother’s love and warm, soft embrace is like having someone rip away a protective blanket,” she wrote of her loss.

Bertrand, also an actress like her daughter, came to Los Angeles from Illinois, and studied with Lee Strasberg, a prominent actor and teacher. She reportedly met Jon Voight, Jolie’s father, in 1971, but they later divorced.

Jolie chose to undergo several preventative procedures, to minimize the chances that she would develop cancer.

In 2013, she decided to have the double mastectomy. She also underwent other major surgeries that involved removing breast tissue, placing temporary fillers, and breast reconstruction via an implant.

In 2015, she opened up about the procedures she had to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes, reducing her risk of developing ovarian cancer – promoting the “Angelina Jolie Effect,” a term Harvard researchers used to refer to the “large spike in genetic tests for a gene known to increase breast cancer risk following Jolie’s op-ed.”

BRCA Gene Mutations and Breast Cancer

In understanding the role BRCA gene mutations play in breast cancer risk, it’s crucial to know what these gene mutations actually are.

For starters, BRCA is two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). According to the National Cancer Institute, BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene 1 – which Jolie tested positive for) and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene 2) are genes that produce proteins that work to repair damaged DNA.

What Is a BRCA Mutation?

The BRCA genes are sometimes referred to as tumor suppressor genes since changes, or mutations, in these genes can lead to cancer.

Everyone is born with two copies of each of the BRCA genes, one inherited from each parent. If either parent carries a BRCA gene mutation, there’s a 50-50 chance the child will carry it as well.

When BRCA1 or BRCA2 have certain mutations, or changes, men and women are at a higher risk level for several cancers, most notably breast and ovarian cancer in women.

According to the National Cancer Institute, 55 to 72 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant will get breast cancer by the time they reach 70 to 80 years old. Similarly, 45 to 69 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will get breast cancer by that same age.

The percentage of women in the general population who will get breast cancer in their lifetime? About 13 percent.

“If a woman has one of these mutations the genetic BRCA1 and (BRCA)2 mutations, it puts her at basically the highest quantifiable risk for getting breast cancer,” Dr. Elisa Port, a surgical oncologist at Mount Sinai, told SurvivorNet. “We typically say between the 60 (percent) and 80 percent range.”

When Cancer Runs in the Family: Survivor Amy Armstrong On The Importance of Genetic Testing

If you have a family history of cancer, like Angelina Jolie genetic testing could be one way for you to find out if you have harmful genetic mutations that increase your risk of developing certain cancers. Ask your doctor if genetic testing is right for you.

Dr. Port explained, “We now feel that casting a wider net with genetic testing is probably very prudent because finding out that one has a cancer predisposition gene can definitely change their course, their risk for cancer and what they might want to do about it.”

When to Consider Preventative Surgery for Breast Cancer If You Have a BRCA Mutation

People who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer may want genetic testing, especially if they have one or more relative(s) who received their diagnosis before age 50. But what do you do if you are at an increased risk for breast cancer because of BRCA mutations?

Dr. Freya Schnabel, the director of breast surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, says there are three options.

“The first option is intensive surveillance,” Dr. Schnabel told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview. “And this is an option that focuses on early detection of disease if it should occur.”

The second option comes in the form of medication to lower the risk of getting breast cancer.

“Tamoxifen is the one we use in young women, and then aromatase inhibitors can also be used in post-menopausal women, that have been associated with lowered risk for developing hormone sensitive breast cancer,” Dr. Schnabel said.

“So these medications have to be taken for five years, but have a meaningful reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer, especially for BRCA2 carriers.”

Is a Preventative Mastectomy Right for Me?

Prophylactic (preventative) surgery is the third option. “This is the option that will lower a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer as low as we can get it, because the strategy here is to do surgery to remove the breast tissue as completely as we can,” Dr. Schnabel explained.

She continued, “When these operations are done prophylactically, certainly, no muscles are removed. And, in addition, there is no necessity to remove any lymph nodes, so that we take away some of the side effects and risks that are associated with that piece of the surgery.

“By newer surgical techniques, patients having prophylactic mastectomies will frequently have the option for having the surgery done in a way that preserves the nipple and areola.”

According to Dr. Elisa Port, preventative mastectomies are “really quite effective if done thoroughly.” She says they reduce the risk of developing breast cancer from the highest risk level of 80 to 90% down to the lowest risk level of 1 or 2%.

That being said, there are risks to consider.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a prophylactic mastectomy has the risk of bleeding, infection, loss of sensation in the breast and dissatisfaction with your appearance post-surgery.

Because of this, it’s important to weigh the benefits with the risks with your doctor. If you discover you have a BRCA gene mutation, your doctor can help you understand your unique circumstances and what options may be best for you.