Actress Angelina Jolie Reveals the Grief She Felt After Losing Her Mom to Cancer in 2007: ‘You Just Kind of Want to Hide Under the Covers’

In a new interview with E!, Jolie shares how devastating it felt to lose her mother after Bertrand’s nearly eight-year battle with ovarian and breast cancer.

“We all have times in our lives where we feel broken…I’ve had this many times in my life,” she says. “…It’s a part of something when you feel you just want to kind of hide under the covers or you’re not sure what you got left in you,” says Jolie.

The actress goes on to credit that time in her life, along with other hardships, with helping her rediscover her strength.

“You’re not a film actor, doesn’t matter. Go somewhere, see what you got in you. Put yourself against the elements, or try something you’ve never tried and kind of try to rediscover that strength within,” she says.

The BRCA1 and BRCA 2 Gene Mutations

Jolie is considered a cancer “pre-vivor.” She underwent genetic testing due to her mom’s battles with breast and ovarian cancer, and discovered that she, too, had a high risk of developing this disease, due to the presence of the BRCA1 gene mutation, which puts people at a higher risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.

Related: Please Ask For Genetic Testing If You've Been Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer

Famously, Jolie penned a powerful OpEd in The New York Times discussing the decision to get a preventative double mastectomy, vastly reducing her chances of getting breast cancer. Thanks to her openness about her preventative decision and her genetic testing, this kind of testing increased, potentially saving an untold number of lives to breast and ovarian cancer. It was dubbed “The Jolie Effect.”

What is a BRCA Mutation?

Coping with the Loss of a Parent to Cancer

Losing a parent to breast cancer or any kind of cancer can feel devastating. As Jolie says, it makes you want to hide under the covers all day and stay in bed for days on end. And that is perfectly fine. Grief can feel debilitating and overwhelming, and it takes time to work through it.

Related: The Angelina Jolie Effect Important New Research for Women Making Critical Decisions About Breast Cancer

For many, like Camila Legaspi, therapy is a helpful component of the grief process. In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Legaspi says, “Therapy saved my life. I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point.”

“It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on,” she says. “Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings. The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist.”

"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

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