Supermodel Linda Evangelista reveals she secretly underwent a double mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis

6 September 2023, 11:27

Supermodel Linda Evangelista has revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and quietly underwent a double mastectomy five years ago.

The 58-year-old Canadian, one of the original supermodels, also said she found another lump in her chest last year.

In a new interview she spoke out about her December 2018 diagnosis that led to her having a bilateral mastectomy before she found another lump in her chest last year.

She told the WSJ Magazine: "The margins were not good, and due to other health factors, without hesitation, because I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy. Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me."

But unfortunately she had another cancer scare in July last year after discovering a lump in her chest.

She explained that she had had chemotherapy and radiotherapy for her latest tumour and her prognosis is "good but not great."

She said: "Once it's come back, there's a chance. I know I have one foot in the grave, but I'm totally in celebration mode," she said.

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Last year, the star appeared on the cover of Vogue for the first time since saying she had been "deformed" by a cosmetic procedure which went wrong.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the new Apple TV+ docuseries The Super Models, which features interviews with Evangelista and other 1990s catwalk stars such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington, she said her cancer was first detected during her annual mammogram appointment.

"The margins were not good, and due to other health factors, without hesitation, because I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy," she explained.

"Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me."

The model explained she was diagnosed in December in 2018 and it was detected during her annual mammogram.