Angelina Jolie poignantly details health challenges as she remembers famous late mom
The Mr and Mrs Smith actress is the daughter of Hollywood stars Marcheline Bertrand and Jon Voight
Angelina Jolie made a rare social media post on Monday in honor of her late mother, famed Hollywood star Marcheline Bertrand, on World Ovarian Cancer Day.
She reminisced about their relationship, remarking upon the fact that May 9th would've been her 73rd birthday. Marcheline passed away in 2007 aged 56 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Angelina, 47, who was always close with her mother, shared a rare childhood polaroid photo of the pair, with her dressed in a white frock and straw hat while her mom adoringly gazed at her.
View post on InstagramThe actress wrote: "Tomorrow would have been my mother's 73rd birthday. She passed away 15 years ago, after a long struggle with breast and ovarian cancer."
She explained that the diagnosis influenced her to frequently get check ups and preventive surgeries. "In June, I will be a month away from the age when she was diagnosed. I have had preventive surgeries to try to lessen chances but I continue to have check ups.
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The filmmaker then dove deeper into her mother's private life with a sweet anecdote, adding: "My mom loved [Jimi] Hendrix. And would always sign her letters 'Kiss the Sky'. It took on new meaning after she passed.
"Sending my love to those who have also lost loved ones and strength to those who are fighting at this very moment for their lives and the lives of those they love.
"And to other women, please take the time to look after yourself and go for your mammograms and blood tests or ultrasounds, particularly if you have a family history of cancer," she concluded, linking out to more information for those interested.
Many of her fans took to sharing praise and support for her, with one saying: "Angelina Jolie, we love you for your beautiful heart," and another adding: "Thank you for this message, you give strength to us all."
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The official page for World Ovarian Cancer Day left a comment that read: "Thank you so much for sharing this on #WOCD2023 – the more we share our stories and awareness, the closer we will get to #NoWomanLeftBehind."
Her mother made minor film appearances in the early 1980s, including 1982's , which was co-written by and starred her ex-husband and Angelina's father Jon Voight, who she was married to from 1971-1980.
Jon left the family when the star was less than a year old. Since then, she and brother James Haven were raised primarily by their mother, who inspired them to enter the acting profession.
While they temporarily reconnected in 2001 when Jon and Angelina starred in together, it deteriorated further, with the siblings petitioning to legally remove the surname "Voight," causing the actress to go by her middle name of "Jolie."
They reconciled following Marcheline's death in 2007, with the father-daughter pair announcing their reconciliation three years later.
Angelina is herself a mom to six children, those being Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14, co-parenting them with ex-husband Brad Pitt.
Take a look at more photos of Angelina's famous family through the years below:
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