Brad Pitt and Jon Voight Speak about Angelina Jolie’s Mastectomy
Earlier this week Angelina Jolie revealed she'd undergone a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she carries a cancer gene. Now, the men in her life speak about her decision to have elective surgery.
When Jolie revealed that she’d had the mastectomy, she praised her fiancé, Brad Pitt, for standing by her throughout the ordeal.
Pitt tells U.K.'s Evening Standard:
“Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her[s], absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for her is to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”
Jolie's father, actor Jon Voight, with whom the actress has had a tumultuous relationship, tells E! News:
"My love and admiration for her can never be measured in words. I think she is an inspiration to many people who are faced with the same situation." However, he also says he found out about his daughter's decision by reading her New York Times op-ed piece, published Tuesday.
Angelina's future mother-in-law, Jane Pitt, has high praise for Angie in her own statement to People.com:
“We’re so very proud of Angie." She added, “This means so much to our family, especially our grandchildren. We love her dearly.”
Jolie's older brother James Haven says:
“My sister, like our mother, always put her children first,” Haven said in his own statement. “I am so grateful to be her brother.”
Jolie, 37 and a mother of six, opted for the double mastectomy after learning that she carried the BRCA1 gene, which could dramatically increase her risk for breast and ovarian cancers. Her own mother died of ovarian cancer in 2007.
Angelina now prepares for a third surgery, one that remove her ovaries.