'I have one foot in the grave': Linda Evangelista reveals she was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago
ST CATHARINES, CANADA: Linda Evangelista, 58, the legendary Canadian supermodel who dominated the fashion scene in the 1980s and 1990s, has shared her harrowing experiences when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018.
In an interview with WSJ, she opened up about her health struggles that she kept hidden from the public for years.
When was Linda Evangelista diagnosed with breast cancer?
Evangelista revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2018 after her annual mammogram showed cancerous margins.
She opted for a double mastectomy without hesitation, hoping to put the disease behind her.
"I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this," Linda revealed.
"I opted for a bilateral mastectomy. Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me," she said in an interview with the publication.
Why did Linda Evangelista tell doctors to 'dig a hole' in her chest?
In July 2022, Linda discovered another lump in her chest.
Even as her oncologist was unimpressed, she went ahead with the MRI, results for which prompted biopsy that turned out to be cancer in her pectoral muscle.
Following the discovery, Evangelista told her doctor, "Dig a hole in my chest."
"I don't want it to look pretty. I want you to excavate. I want to see a hole in my chest when you're done. Do you understand me? I'm not dying from this," she said.
She underwent another surgery and chemotherapy. She was told by her doctors that her prognosis was good, which made her question, "why wasn't it great."
What did Linda Evangelista say about her cancer reoccurring?
Evangelista "oncotype score" which predicts the chances of cancer coming back is "horrible."
Linda Evangelista said, "I know I have one foot in the grave” but also “totally in celebration mode.”
The supermodel told the outlet that a few people knew about her cancer ordeal. It's is not known if she had a reconstruction after bilateral mastectomy.
Who is Francois-Henri Pinault?
Linda Evangelista’s son, Augustin James, who is now 16 years old, is the result of a brief relationship she had with Francois-Henri Pinault, the CEO of Kering, a luxury fashion conglomerate.
Pinault later married Salma Hayek, the actress and producer, in 2009.
Evangelista and Hayek have a close friendship and consider each other as "family."
Evangelista said of Hayek, "“I love that woman. She’s a woman’s woman. Just like me, [she’s] so family-oriented, and so positive. She’s a blessing to us…. She was very, very generous and kind to me while I was going through my chemo.”
What is CoolSculpting and why did Linda Evangelista sue the company behind it?
CoolSculpting is a non-invasive fat reduction technique that uses freezing to destroy fat cells, as per Mayo Clinic.
It is supposed to help people lose stubborn fat that does not respond to diet and exercise.
However, Linda Evangelista had a rare reaction to the procedure that caused her fat cells to become enlarged and protrude from her body.
She previously told told Vogue that she "hated hrself" after the faulty procedure left her face “brutally disfigured” and caused her to lose her livelihood and self-esteem.
She had two liposuction surgeries in an attempt to fix the problem and announced back in February 2022 that she was done living in "shame."
She filed a lawsuit against Zeltiq Aesthetics, the company behind CoolSculpting in New York in September 2022 for grievous injuries. The lawsuit was settled earlier this year.
