The untimely passing of Angelina Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, at the age of 56 in January 2007, marked the end of a battle that began with an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 1999. This was only the start of a challenging journey, as Bertrand later faced breast cancer as well. The news was especially devastating, given her fear of repeating family history; her own mother, Lois Bertrand, succumbed to ovarian cancer at the age of 45. Lois’s early death meant she never met her famous granddaughter, born just 18 months after her passing.
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Throughout her remaining years, Marcheline Bertrand endured aggressive treatments, hoping to escape the fate that claimed her mother. However, she always carried the fear that she might not. “There is no longevity on my mother’s side of the family,” Jolie shared with Esquire in 2007. “My grandmother also died young, so my mother always thought it could happen to her.” Tragically, this fate also befell Marcheline’s younger sister, Debbie Martin, who died from breast cancer in May 2013, not long after Jolie revealed she had a double mastectomy to mitigate her cancer risk.
Jolie’s choice to undergo surgery, later followed by the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes, was driven by the discovery that she carried a gene mutation significantly elevating her risk for breast and ovarian cancers. While her decision sparked widespread discussion, her family saw it as an obvious course of action. “Had we known, we certainly would have done exactly what Angelina did,” her aunt’s husband, Ron Martin, told The Guardian. Marcheline’s struggle with cancer was harsh, yet she hoped her experience would serve a greater purpose.
Following her diagnosis, Marcheline Bertrand was motivated to assist others. Together with her then-partner, John Trudell, she founded Give Love Give Life, an organization aimed at raising awareness about women’s cancers through musical events. Their efforts also generated support for Johanna’s Law, the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, which took effect in January 2007, just weeks before Bertrand’s death. Despite her fears of sharing her mother’s fate, she aspired to prevent others from experiencing it.
Angelina Jolie continues to honor her mother’s legacy. By openly discussing her BRCA1 gene status and her choice for preventative surgeries, Jolie has significantly influenced women’s health awareness. Dubbed the “Angelina Jolie effect,” her openness has encouraged numerous women to seek gene testing, potentially leading to early, life-saving interventions. Jolie’s impact extends beyond awareness; she actively champions research and improved treatments for these cancers, using her platform to advocate for change.
Marcheline Bertrand transformed her cancer into activism
After she received her initial diagnosis, Marcheline Bertrand was inspired to help others. She and her then-partner, John Trudell, established Give Love Give Life, a foundation that raised awareness of women’s cancers through concerts. Through their work, Bertrand and Trudell also raised funds to promote Johanna’s Law, also known as the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act. The law went into effect in January 2007, just weeks before Bertrand’s death. She may have feared she would have her mother’s fate, but she hoped she could prevent others from it.
And her daughter carried on her legacy. By choosing to be upfront about her BRCA1 gene and her decision to undergo preventative surgeries, Angelina Jolie may have a huge impact on women’s health. Known as the “Angelina Jolie effect,” her decision inspired other women to get tested for the gene, increasing awareness and potentially getting them started on life-saving treatments early on. Her impact hasn’t just been passive, though. Jolie has actively used her voice to fight for research and improved treatments for these cancers.
Jolie wants women to grow old enough to carry their wisdom forward. She wishes she would have met her grandmother, and that her mother would have seen her grandchildren grow up, as Bertrand’s presence would have enriched the lives of Jolie’s six children. “It’s hard now for me to consider anything in this life divinely guided when I think of how much their lives would have benefited from time with her and the protection of her love and grace,” she wrote in a 2019 Time essay.