By Breeanna Hare
(CNN) — At the premiere of “World War Z” in London, star Brad Pitt and his fiancée, Angelina Jolie, were feeling “great” — if not also a little emotional.
Sunday’s event marked Jolie’s first public appearance since she revealed in May that she’d had a preventive double mastectomy this year, and the press wanted to know how she’s been since her New York Times op-ed about her choice went viral.
“I feel great,” Jolie told the BBC. “I feel wonderful, and I’m very, very grateful for all the support. It’s meant a lot to me.”
The 37-year-old actress previously said she decided to have the double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery after learning she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007.
Part of the response to Jolie’s story has been an ongoing discussion about women’s health, something that “means the world” to the actress.
“After losing my mom to these issues, I’m very grateful for it,” she told the BBC. “I’ve been very moved by support of the people.”
So, too, has Pitt. The 49-year-old, who’s raising a family of six with Jolie, said that her decision still makes him “a little emotional.”
“Because of the act itself, what she did for our family, and then telling her story to others,” he told the BBC, “what it means to others has really surprised me. She’s a very special woman.”
Pitt and Jolie, who strolled the red carpet in a black Yves Saint Laurent gown, also brought their sons Maddox, 11, and Pax, 9, to check out their dad’s new zombie action film. “World War Z” is set to open June 21.
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