Angelina Jolie has made her first public appearance since announcing last month that she had undergone a double mastectomy.
Jolie joined partner Brad Pitt for the opening night of his zombie thriller World War Z in London’s Leicester Square.
The couple walked a black, rather than red, carpet at the world premiere of the big-budget film, which stars Pitt as a United Nations employee battling to save the world from a zombie apocalypse.
The pair wore complementary black outfits as they signed autographs for fans in Leicester Square.
Jolie told reporters she felt great, and had “been very happy to see the discussion of women’s health expanded” by her announcement.
“I feel wonderful and I’m very very grateful for all the support, it means a lot to me,’ said Jolie, who wore a black floor length Saint Laurent dress.
“He’s [Pitt] been extraordinary. He’s such a wonderful man and a wonderful father, I’m very very lucky.
Jolie revealed last month in an op-ed piece for The New York Times that she had had her breasts removed after discovering she has an inherited genetic mutation that puts her at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand died from ovarian cancer at 56, and the actress’ aunt died of breast cancer last month.
The 37-year-old actress revealed that, beginning in February, she underwent three surgeries – which she succeeded in keeping secret from the public – in which her breasts were removed, and later replaced by implants. She said the procedure had reduced her chance of developing breast cancer from 87 percent to under 5 percent.
Pitt said Jolie’s mastectomy and subsequent revelation had been “a very moving experience” for the couple, who have six children.
“What it means to others has really surprised me,” he told the BBC. “The beautiful thing is that for us, life will go on. … It certainly brought our family tighter together.”
Rock band Muse is performing an outdoor concert Sunday for the premiere of the shot-in-Britain film which producers hope will be a summer blockbuster.
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– AP
