Kathy Bates, 76, makes emotional admission about double mastectomy 12 years ago
In 2012 Kathy Bates underwent a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis and did not have reconstruction, and now the Matlock actress has revealed that it was the best decision she had made.
“I decided not to have reconstruction because at the age I thought, ‘I really don’t want to go through that.’ I just didn’t wanna go through it,” Kathy has now shared.
“This is really weird maybe but I had really heavy breasts. They were 10 pounds when they removed them. Really big, big breasts and I kind of enjoy not having breasts … it’s strange,” she added.
Kathy was speaking on the latest episode of the MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler podcast, and she recalled how at the time she was not in a relationship and didn’t see one in her future and so had the thought, “Why do I have to [have reconstruction]?”
Christina, 52, also spoke about her own 2008 diagnosis with breast cancer, and how she chose to opt for reconstruction surgery but not to get nipples.
“I don’t have nipples and I don’t really care about that part. I don’t need them. I’m totally fine,” she shared.”Like you could go out with a tank top without a bra and there’s no pokey guys coming out,” she joked.
Kathy, who has also been open about her 100lb weight loss, went on to share how the costume department for her CBS drama Matlock “devised this really cool camisole” made of material similar to Spanx to create the appearance of breasts for her character, Madeleine Matlock.
“Very thin straps, and they put little false-y cups in it, and they’re so comfortable … they give me a nice shape,” Kathy said.
“I feel so good when I go out like that. For a while, I just didn’t go out with any prosthetics… or I went out with them and they’re hot and heavy and they made me unhappy,” the star continued.
In 2003 Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent surgery and nine months of chemotherapy.
“I didn’t tell anybody,” she shared at the time. “I didn’t want anyone to know, but it really took a lot out of me.”
But in 2012, when she was told she had breast cancer she knew she wanted to be public because her mother and niece had both been diagnosed as well.