Olivia Munn Opens Up About Hysterectomy & Breast Cancer Battle

Actress Olivia Munn recently disclosed that she had a hysterectomy during her battle with breast cancer.

The surgery, which involves the removal of the uterus, means that Munn will not be able to get pregnant in the future. Munn decided to get the surgery after recommendations from her doctors, who said that a hysterectomy would prevent the cancer – luminal B breast cancer – from returning by halting estrogen production.

“It was a big decision to make, but it was the best decision for me because I needed to be present for my family,” Munn told Vogue. 

Munn shares a two-year-old son, Malcolm, with her boyfriend, comedian and actor John Mulaney. They have been dating since February 2021. 

“I’m so thankful to [Mulaney] for the nights he spent researching what every operation and medication meant and what side effects and recovery I could expect,” Munn wrote in an Instagram post in March.

After being diagnosed with luminal B breast cancer in April 2023, Munn took a break from her acting career to receive treatment. Since she was planning to have more children with Mulaney, she followed a cancer-specific protocol for egg retrieval.

“We just wanted a few more eggs,” Munn said. “At my age, one in every ten eggs are healthy, and we were hoping to make one embryo from this retrieval.”

Munn said it was “amazing” when doctors told her they could retrieve two healthy embryos.

“[A] surrogate isn’t a scary prospect to me anymore because there’s nothing I can do. I don’t have the ability to carry a baby anymore, so if we want to build our family, this is our option,” Munn said.

The hysterectomy is Munn’s fifth surgery in her breast cancer journey. Previously, she underwent a double mastectomy, a lymph node dissection, reconstructive surgery and a nipple delay.