Angelina Jolie’s decision to get a double mastectomy after learning she had the breast cancer gene mutation has been lauded by many as courageous, empowering, and even heroic. But singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge — a breast cancer survivor herself — thinks it’s actually the opposite of those things.
Asked about Jolie’s recent New York Times op-ed, in which she revealed the news of her mastectomy and breast reconstruction, Etheridge told the Washington Blade that she wouldn’t make the same decision for herself. Nor would she encourage others to do so without properly researching their options.
“I have to say I feel a little differently,” the Grammy-winning chanteuse (who, incidentally, performed at Brad Pitt’s wedding to Jennifer Aniston) said of the choice to get a preventive mastectomy. “I have that gene mutation too, and it’s not something I would believe in for myself. I wouldn’t call it the brave choice. I actually think it’s the most fearful choice you can make when confronting anything with cancer.”
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