Angelina Jolie has never been afraid to combine vulnerability and activism. Twelve years after revealing her preventative double mastectomy to the world, the American actress and activist is making headlines again, appearing on the cover of the first issue of Time France. In this image of modesty and courage, she shows the scars left by her surgery. A powerful gesture that reaffirms her role as an iconic figure in the fight against cancer.
A cover symbolizing courage and empathy
For the launch of its French edition, Time magazine chose a symbol: that of a woman who transformed fear into a message of prevention. In photos by Nathaniel Goldberg, Angelina Jolie reveals the marks of her double mastectomy, without dramatic staging, simply with restraint.
In the pages of Time France , the actress confides, "I share these scars with many women I love." With this powerful statement, she reminds us that these marks are not stigmas, but emblems of survival and sisterhood. By showing what so many others hide, she liberates speech, breaks taboos, and gives tangible form to women's courage.
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The "Angelina shock": a public health impact
When Angelina Jolie announced in 2013 that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy, the world reacted. A carrier of the BRCA1 gene, she had made the radical decision to act before the disease developed. Her transparent and well-documented testimony triggered what became known as the "Angelina effect": a significant increase in breast and ovarian cancer screenings in many countries.
By making visible today the effects of the surgery on her body, she continues her fight, transforming her scars into tools for health education and prevention. More than a star, she becomes a messenger of solidarity and equitable access to healthcare, advocating that medicine should not be a luxury reserved for a select few.
A committed actress, a woman of strength
Beyond her Hollywood image, Angelina Jolie once again establishes herself as a voice that matters. Her humanitarian commitment, her candor, and her desire to speak about women's bodies in ways other than through the lens of physical beauty set her apart in an industry often obsessed with perfection. By posing without artifice, she redefines the contours of courage: the courage to accept reality, to love life despite hardships, and to share that strength with others.
By choosing to show her scars, Angelina Jolie is doing far more than taking a photograph: she's delivering a lesson in humanity. Through this gesture, she demonstrates that beauty lies not in the absence of marks, but in the ability to live and love with them. "Bravo for showing it!" —because within each scar lies proof of a battle won and a life that goes on.
