Olivia Munn has reflected on choosing to welcome her daughter through surrogacy, amid her cancer treatment.
In April 2023, The Newsroom actress was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in both of her breasts. Following multiple surgeries and treatments, she is now in recovery.
Now, Olivia - who shares three-year-old son Malcom and eight-month-old daughter Méi with her husband, comedian John Mulaney - has chosen to reflect on the difficult period of her life.
Speaking to People, the 44-year-old expressed her gratitude for surviving her cancer treatment.
“It’s so crazy to think that I’m sitting here with two amazing babies. I’m just so happy and grateful, and I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to do. I didn’t know how much strength I had inside me,” she gushed.
Olivia recalled how one of her biggest fears after her cancer diagnosis was the possibility of not being able to carry another child.
“What happens if I can’t carry? There were all these unknowns, but I knew where I wanted to go: alive on the other side, healthy, energetic, with a baby on the way,” she explained, noting that she underwent an egg retrieval before she was sent into surgical menopause.
“It was important to do it at that moment, but it was also scary because my type of cancer feeds on hormones, and there are a lot of hormone injections with IVF,” she stated.
"I remember I was on a walk with John, and I said, 'I really don't think that I'll be okay unless we get two girl embryos. I know this puts me at risk, but I just need you to support me.' He said, ‘Whatever you need,’” she detailed, before adding that they managed to secure two healthy female embryos.
Praising her surrogate, Olivia concluded: “The first thing I worried about was if I would be able to find somebody who would love and take care of my daughter as much as I would. We were so lucky to find someone so kind who we bonded with so much."
