Jolie is ‘heroic’, says partner Pitt

Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a preventative double mastectomy was “absolutely heroic”, according to her partner Brad Pitt.

All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children

The 37-year-old Hollywood star took the decision to have the procedure because she carries the “faulty” gene BRCA1, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Jolie revealed the news in an article for The New York Times and has been praised by health campaigners for helping raise awareness of breast cancer.

Fight Club star Pitt said it marked “a happy day for our family”.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: “Having witnessed this decision first-hand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus.

“All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”

The Tomb Raider actress and campaigner said doctors told her she had an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.

She said she was writing about her ordeal in the hope that other women might benefit from her experience.

The star, in an article entitled My Medical Choice, said she finished the three months of medical procedures on April 27, and added: “During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.”

She wrote: “I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive.

“So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition.

Jolie, whose mother had cancer and died at 56, said the decision to have the mastectomy was not easy but that she was happy to have gone ahead with it.

Urging women to get checked out, the star said: “For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.”

Meanwhile, Jolie’s father Jon Voight said he only found out that his daughter had undergone a double mastectomy when he read the news – despite having just seen the actress.

The actor told the New York Daily News he “absolutely” respected his daughter’s decision not to tell him about the operation.

He said: “My love and admiration for my daughter can’t be explained in words...

“I was as surprised as anyone and deeply moved by the way she’s handled this. She's a very extraordinary person, the way she examined it and what she shared.”