Olivia Munn Encourages Women to Assess Their Risk During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Following the discovery of her own lifetime risk, the actress was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Olivia Munn / Sean Zanni/Getty Images

Actress Olivia Munn opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis this spring, a harrowing journey that required four surgeries over the course of 10 months, including a double mastectomy. Since then, the 44-year-old The Newsroom star has used her platform to advocate for breast cancer awareness.

Munn did just that in an Instagram post on Oct. 2, in which she cradled her newborn daughter, Méi June Mulaney, whom she welcomed with her boyfriend, comedian John Mulaney, via surrogate in September. The two are also parents to a son named Malcom, born in 2021.

Alongside the adorable snapshot of Munn and her baby girl, she shared an important message that encouraged fellow women to assess their breast cancer risk.

“This time last year I was recovering from my fourth surgery and now I’m hanging with my baby girl. 🥹💕,” Munn wrote. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month just started. Last year I was diagnosed with bilateral Luminal B breast cancer. There were many people integral to saving my life but it was my OB-GYN @drthaisaliabadi who set me on the path to survival. She used the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Test to calculate my risk of getting breast cancer. My high score led me down a road of many tests that resulted in a cancer diagnosis.”

Back in March, in her initial Instagram announcement, Munn shared that her doctor discovered her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer was 37%. That assessment led to an MRI, an ultrasound and, eventually, a biopsy, which revealed Luminal B cancer in both of Munn’s breasts. The assessment was the first step in discovering Munn’s aggressive, fast-moving cancer and essentially saved her life.

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“The test is free, online and takes only a few minutes,” she continued. “To take it you can either google ‘Tyrer-Cuzick Test’ or you can go to Dr. Aliabadi’s website SheMD.org (@shemdpodcast) and also get action items on what to do depending on your percentage of risk. To everyone who is battling or has battled cancer, in whatever form, I send you all my love.🤍🤍🤍.”

Plenty of Munn’s 3 million followers on the platform chimed into the comments section to thank her for using her platform to raise awareness.

“Your story inspired me,” one person wrote. “My insurance denied a breast MRI despite my strong family history. After I read your story I fought for the MRI and it came back normal. Thank you.”

“Just started my treatments, thank you for sharing your experience,” another user chimed. “All the best ❤.”