Breast cancer survivor and actor Olivia Munn went topless and showed her double mastectomy scars for an inspiring photo shoot for a Skims ad, but it wasn't how it was originally planned.
The 44-year-old Deliver Us from Evil actor, who is a paid spokesperson for Kim Kardashian's shapewear and clothing company, announced in March 2024 that in the previous year, she had been diagnosed with luminal B breast cancer, an "aggressive, fast-moving" form of cancer.
Munn was diagnosed just two months after having a "normal mammogram," following negative test results from genetic tests that check for "90 different cancer genes."
She credited her OBGYN for doing a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, a move that she said saved her life.
Munn said she had a subsequent MRI, ultrasound, and biopsy that led to the discovery of "an aggressive, fast-moving cancer" in both breasts.
She continued saying "30 days after that biopsy I had 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. I'm lucky. We caught it with enough time that I had options."
Munn shared her cancer journey as part of an effort to spread awareness about getting routine checkups and advocating for your own health.
She captioned her moving Instagram post with:
"I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey."
In her lengthy post as part of a carousel of photos, she wrote, in part:
"In the past 10 months I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined."
She shared the inspiration behind the sudden change of plans for the Skims shoot, which led to revealing the scars from her double mastectomy.
"In the middle of this latest @SKIMS campaign shoot, I decided I was done being insecure about my mastectomy scars," she wrote on Wednesday's Instagram post.
"Every mark life has left behind on my body is proof of how hard I fought. I hope other women who have been self-conscious about their scars see these photos and feel all the love I’m sending."
She added:
"It’s really meaningful to be part of an initiative that supports research and helps countless individuals impacted by breast cancer."
"From October 23, 2024 to October 31, 2024, SKIMS will donate to Susan G. Komen® 10% of the retail sales price for each bra sold in SKIMS stores and on Skims.com, excluding bralettes."
Munn shared more of her cancer journey and about the Skims photo shoot with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie.
"When Skims approached me to do this campaign, it was just to do their shapewear and their new leggings, and it wasn't about my scar at all," she recalled of the initial plans for the campaign.
"But we were in the middle of the shoot and we were changing an outfit that could see more of my scars."
You can watch the interview here.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Munn continued:
"So the makeup artist was touching up my scars, and we got to the double mastectomy scars, and they were really hard to cover up. Then I was looking in the mirror, and I just thought, ‘I’m done being insecure about my scars."
"So I went to the team of Skims and I said, ‘What do you guys think about showing my scars in this campaign?' And they were so amazing and thoughtful and wonderful. And we talked it out and we decided to do it."
Social media users were moved by her post.
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She hopes the ad will inspire other women who've gone through a similar journey would embrace their beauty following surgical procedures.
"Knowing there are so many women that have these same scars as me, I know that so many of them feel the same way I felt about them for so long. And I hope that they see the Skims campaign," she said.
"Skims is so iconic and associated with beauty and sex appeal, and cancer really doesn't have that same connotation."
"So I just really hope that other women who have gone through my same path feel a little better after seeing it."
It seems to be working.
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@oliviamunn/Instagram
Munn married comedian John Mulaney in July 2024.
They welcomed a son on November 24, 2021, and a daughter, born via surrogate, on September 14, 2024.
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