Supermodel Linda Evangelista has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer twice within five years.

The catwalk legend revealed during an interview with WSJ. Magazine that she was first diagnosed with the condition in 2018 and it returned in July 2022.

“It was detected in my annual mammogram (the first time),” she told the publication. “The margins were not good, and due to other health factors, without hesitation, because I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy. Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me.”

After the cancer came back last year, Linda told her oncologist, “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.”

The fashion star explained that she only told a handful of people about her diagnosis because she didn’t want to announce it publicly “while I am going through it”.

The 58-year-old admitted that she received a “horrible oncotype score”, which represents the recurrence risk of cancer, and her oncologist recently told her that her prognosis is “good” but “there’s a chance” it could come back.

“I know I have one foot in the grave, but I’m totally in celebration mode,” she shared. “I’ve come through some horrible health issues. I’m at a place where I’m so happy celebrating my book (Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel), my life. I’m so happy to be alive. Anything that comes now is bonus.”

Linda is donating proceeds from the book, which will be released on 13 September, to breast cancer research.

– Cover Media