Angelina Jolie Breaks Down at Toronto Premiere Amid Cancer Battle

At the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Angelina Jolie emotionally discussed her new movie Couture, in which she plays Maxine, a filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer. Jolie, who lost her mother Marcheline Bertrand to cancer and underwent a preventive double mastectomy due to carrying the BRCA1 gene, found the film deeply personal and sought comfort by wearing her late mother’s necklace during filming. She highlighted the importance of seeing people with cancer as whole individuals, not defined solely by their illness, a sentiment she shared while tearfully advising an audience member who had recently lost someone to cancer. The film explores themes of illness, resilience, and the complexity of identity beyond disease, reflecting Jolie’s own health journey and emotional experiences. Jolie also emphasized the supportive and healing atmosphere on set, noting that heavy films often foster loving communities. Through Couture, she hopes to remind audiences of life's fragility and the opportunity to rediscover love and vitality even in the face of serious illness.