'Proof of how hard I fought': Olivia Munn shows off mastectomy scars in new Skims campaign

CNN
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Olivia Munn is the latest star to model for shapewear brand Skims, and in the campaign images the actress shows off her mastectomy scars as she continues her battle with breast cancer.

In the photos taken by artist Vanessa Beecroft, Munn models products from the lingerie and shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian, including a stunning nipple illusion bra. According to a press release, the campaign was launched during the final week of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in partnership with the Susan G. Komen organization and encourages women to get screening screenings. Munn has advocated for people to calculate their breast cancer risk score, which contributed to her diagnosis early last year.

“This cause is close to my heart and I am proud to help raise awareness and encourage discussion about it,” Munn said in the press release. “SKIMS’ commitment to empowerment and community fits perfectly with this campaign’s message of confidence, comfort and feeling your best self. That’s exactly how I felt when I shot it.”

Last month, Munn shared a timeline of her breast cancer journey on social media, which included multiple mammograms, ultrasounds and a genetic test in 2022 and early 2023. All of these tests were negative. But in March, her doctor examined her using the Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment calculator and found that Munn's lifetime risk was 37.3%, more than three times the risk of the general population. This prompted her to do more tests, including an MRI and biopsies. She was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in April 2024 and has since undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction, among other treatments.

She noted that Munn also had surgery for a partial hysterectomy last April, several months after she underwent egg retrieval. She and her husband, comedian John Mulaney, welcomed their second child via surrogate in September.

In a podcast episode with the Susan G. Komen organization, Munn spoke more about the importance of her campaign with Skims. “When people think of SKIMS they think of beauty and sexiness, and with breast cancer I think it's not always the first thing people think of, maybe not even in the top hundred.”

She revealed that she originally wanted to cover up some of her scars for the project, but she had a moment between takes that changed her mind. “After my first photo shoot with this one black bodysuit, we changed and touched up my scars with my make-up artist. And then it hit me when she retouched a scar that was placed in a way that I haven't really come to love yet,” she recalls.

“But I looked at my post-mastectomy scars and thought about the first time I saw them and how shocking it was to me. And I thought, you know what? I look at these scars as proof of how hard I fought. And I think now I want to not only accept the scars, but also show other women who have the same scars that there's no reason to feel bad.”

Munn joins celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter, Megan Fox, Heidi Klum, Cardi B and Lana Del Ray, who have all modeled for Kardashian's brand. Skims has a history of supporting social causes and has previously donated to families affected by COVID-19 as well as relief efforts in Ukraine. The brand also recently secured high-profile partnerships with the WNBA and NBA and collaborated with Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Skims says it will donate a portion of its bra sales to Susan G. Komen through the end of the month to support breast cancer research and awareness.