‘ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE’

Linda Evangelista Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Twice in the Last 5 Years

The Canadian supermodel said her prognosis is good, but “not great,” after undergoing treatment for breast cancer—again.

Linda Evangelista, the Canadian supermodel who epitomized the glamor of the 1990s, is opening up about her health—revealing that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice in the past five years. Speaking with WSJ Magazine, the 58-year-old Evangelista shared that her first diagnosis came in 2018, after cancer was detected during a routine annual mammogram. She explained she opted for a bilateral mastectomy, “thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me.” Then, last July, she discovered a new lump on her chest. Evangelista said she gave her oncologist explicit instructions this time around. “Dig a hole in my chest,” she recalled saying. “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.” After more surgery and chemotherapy, she said, her prognosis is good, but “not great,” because her recurrence risk remains high. That doesn’t stop her from treating every day as a gift, however. “I know I have one foot in the grave,” Evangelista said, “but I’m totally in celebration mode.”