Olivia Munn admits she tried to hide her “battle wounds” after undergoing a double mastectomy.
The actress, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2023, recalled making a red carpet appearance at the 2024 Oscars in March – before she felt comfortable publicly sharing her diagnosis.
“I have some divots and dents on one side of my body near where the lymph nodes were, and they had to really dig out,” she told People in an interview published Sunday. “And I’ve been wearing some dresses on the red carpet that made me a little stressed out at times.”
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Munn, 43, stunned at the Academy Awards when she stepped out in a bronzed-color halter dress alongside her partner of three years, John Mulaney, who looked dapper in a tux. Both were wearing custom Fendi.
“We’re trying to really cheat where the dents are and how to make it really smooth and cover up everything, so that I could wear it,” the actress said of slipping into the dress post-surgery.
“It’s not something I can do by myself, but knowing that there’s that option for when I’m in front of the camera has made me feel a lot better about things,” she continued.
Aside from being extra cautious with her wardrobe, Munn – who switched into a white gown for Vanity Fair’s 2024 Oscars afterparty – also said she grew out her hair to conceal her scars.
“Sometimes I look in the mirror and I think, ‘Oh, my hair is so long now and it’s because of this,’” she told the outlet.
“And sometimes it makes me a little sad that I still want to hide certain aspects,” she continued.
“But then I remind myself that those are battle wounds and I can show them what I want and I can hide them when I want.”
Despite her woes, the “X-Men: Apocalypse” star admitted she was “extremely happy” to have the option of undergoing “a double mastectomy” and given “the opportunity to fight.”
“It’s different once you actually do the reconstruction and it’s much better, but it’s not the same … and that’s OK because I’m here,” she continued.
The actress also detailed going back to work to film Apple TV+’s forthcoming series “Your Friends and Neighbors,” explaining she’s exploring a “different version” of herself now.
“I’m much more forgiving of myself,” Munn said, noting that she’s been a lot “kinder” to herself. “And it’s really fun to go back to work without all of the doubt in your head.”
A few days after her Oscars appearance, Munn publicly announced that she received her breast cancer diagnosis last year shortly after her mammogram results came back clear.
She explained on Instagram that her life was “saved” after her doctor decided to count her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, which showed a lifetime risk of developing cancer at 37 percent.
The assessment led her doctor to order an MRI, ultrasound and biopsy – later confirming she had luminal B cancer in both breasts. Within 30 days, she underwent a double mastectomy.
“I went from feeling completely fine one day, to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next,” she wrote in a lengthy statement alongside snaps of her in recovery.
After four surgeries and hormonal suppression treatments, Munn’s cancer journey put her into menopause early.
“I’m constantly thinking it’s hot, my hair is thinning, and I’m tired a lot,” she told People.
Now, Munn feels she can be more open about her battle after spending a year trying to “fight” without any outside noise.
“I was not someone who obsessed over death or was afraid of it in any way, [but] having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying,” she explained, referencing her and Mulaney’s 2-year-old son, Malcolm.
“When I’m with him, it’s the only time my brain doesn’t think about being sick. I’m just so happy with him. And it puts a lot of stuff into perspective. Because if my body changes, I’m still his mom. If I have hot flashes, I’m still his mom. If I lose my hair, I’m still his mom. That’s really what matters the most to me. I get to be here for him.”
