Angelina Jolie opened up about her late mother… and it was more intense than she was prepared for.
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith star appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend to promote her new film Couture, in which she plays a character battling cancer. While there’s no trailer publicly available for the movie just quite yet, we’re sure she’s phenomenal in it — because the subject matter is so close to home.
The devastating disease has affected Angelina’s family across multiple generations. The beloved actress underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 after discovering she carried a mutated BRCA1 gene, which dramatically increased her likelihood of developing the disease. But it wasn’t just he own cancer fears she’s dealt with up close and personal.
One of the many reasons that pushed her to undergo the incredibly invasive procedure was the fact that her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, tragically died from breast cancer in 2007. So during her appearance at TIFF, she had some heartbreakingly vulnerable advice for those affected by the disease.
Related: King Charles Shares Rare Candid Health Comments Amid Cancer Battle
During a Q&A, an audience member asked the Oscar winner for advice for “anyone who recently lost someone to cancer.” Immediately breaking down and dabbing tears from her eyes, Angie consoled the audience member:
“I’m very sorry for your loss.”
She then went on to talk about her own experience losing her mother to the unforgiving disease:
“One thing I remember my mother saying when she had cancer … we’d had a dinner and people were asking her … how she was doing. She said, ‘All people ever ask me about is cancer.’”
That must be such an alienating feeling… So Angie advises you to NOT do the same:
“I would say, if you know someone who’s going through something, ask them about everything else in their life as well. They’re a whole person. And they’re still living.”
What truly amazing advice… When speaking with someone who is battling an illness, it often feels like that’s the elephant in the room and should therefore be the main topic of discussion. But for that person who’s struggling EVERY DAY, talking about literally anything else could be the break they need. They’re more than their disease!
Entertainment Weekly reported that after Angie gave the advice, the audience broke out in applause. You can watch the footage (below):
One of the most heartrending moments of #TIFF50: an emotional Angelina Jolie, supported by her colleagues and a rapturous audience, offers words of hope for people dealing with cancer. (She expresses condolences for the person who asked, who lost a loved one from the disease.) pic.twitter.com/x4Fatn4Ufl
— Brandon Lewis @ TIFF50 (@blewis1103) September 7, 2025
Awww, poor Angie.
Reactions, Perezcious readers?
[Images via MEGA/WENN]
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