Angelina Jolie made the brave decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene that made it extremely likely (an 87% chance) that she would get breast cancer or (a 50% chance) ovarian cancer.

Jolie, 37, was very close with her mother Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away at the age of 56 after losing her seven-year battle with ovarian cancer.

"She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms,” Jolie wrote Tuesday in an op-ed for the New York Times: “But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was."

Bertrand lived long enough to meet the eldest three of Jolie and her fiancé Brad Pitt's six children -- Maddox, Zahara, and

Angelina Jolie on April 11 (Getty Images)Angelina Jolie's announcement, via a New York Times op-ed piece, that she quietly underwent three months of medical procedures earlier this year to have a preventive double mastectomy was especially remarkable because she is one of the most photographed women in the world. However, much of her year has been spent out of the spotlight.

[Related: Angelina Jolie Reveals She Had Preventative Double Mastectomy]

While the actress and her fiancé, Brad Pitt, typically attend at least one of the major awards shows together, they skipped both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes in 2013. In fact, the mother of six attended only one industry event this year -- and that appearance, in February soon after she started her treatment,

Carrie Underwood (Regan Cameron/Marie Claire)She may be the darling of country music, but Carrie Underwood's no sweetheart.

"I'm not a mushy person at all," Underwood, 30, admits in Marie Claire's June cover story. "We were never a huggy family. Or a 'let's talk it out' family. Technically I have siblings, but they are quite a bit older than me -- I was the accident -- so I have the only-child syndrome going on. I'm a little more selfish, a little more independent, a little closed. I do wish I were softer. I wish I were able to form relationships better. But hey, I mean ... I'm not a sociopath."

[Underwood's Best Red Carpet Moments]

In fact, the six-time Grammy winner who wed hockey player Mike Fisher in 2010, carries that independence into her relationship. "As far as guys and love go, I take the role of being the guy in the relationship," Underwood reveals. "I don't need a lot. I don't need to talk on the phone. I don't even need to talk every day. I am very happy being by myself. I need to be by myself sometimes."

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Angelina Jolie, Sheryl Crow and Giuliana Rancic (Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie revealed on Monday that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering that she carries the BRCA1 gene that increases her risk of developing breast cancer. The Oscar winner wrote about her decision in a riveting op-ed piece in the New York Times, "My Medical Choice."

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman," the 37-year-old actress shared. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy."

(Tom Munro for Allure)Zoe Saldana is so over dating men in her profession.

The 34-year-old, who dated Bradley Cooper until early this year and spent more than a decade in a relationship with actor-turned-businessman Keith Britton, is certain about that.

"Been there, done that, got the T-shirt," she explains in a new interview with Allure.

In fact, she reveals that she's considered having a non-traditional family, so she wouldn't have to deal with Cooper … or any other man, for that matter.

James Franco and a friend (Terry Richardson/GQ) It's pretty obvious that James Franco has a sense of humor about, well, James Franco.

The actor's indie filmmaker and artist persona often leaves people scratching their heads, but he's not afraid to have a little fun with it.

“My public persona is something that is only partially constructed by me, so if people want to mock that, it’s fine. I mock it," Franco tells GQ magazine.

The "Oz: The Great and Powerful" lead graces the June cover of the magazine (its annual comedy issue) and shares that even his close friends have fun with his fractured image.

Angelina Jolie, known for being fiercely private, has made a very personal disclosure.

The Oscar-winning actress reveals in an emotional op-ed for the New York Times that she underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year after a blood test showed she was genetically susceptible to cancer.

"The truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer," she writes. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy."

The 37-year-old mother of six says her decision was triggered in part by the death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away from cancer at the age of 56.

Over the course of three months, beginning in February and ending in late April, Jolie went through a series of medical procedures to have her breasts removed and then reconstructed. And her fiancé, Brad Pitt, stood by her side every step of the way.

"I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive," says Jolie. "Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right

On Sunday, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson dressed up as a female flight attendant, rocking a bright red pencil skirt and blazer, fishnet stockings, red patent leather flats and a face full of makeup, including false eyelashes and a bold red lip. The female ensemble was the hilarious result of a lost bet to Tony Fernandes, Air-Asia's group chief, over whose Formula One racing team would win the 2010 Abu Dhabi race.

The billionaire made good on the bet, chatting with passengers, making announcements over the intercom, and even serving drinks, all the while in drag for the six-hour flight from Australia to Malaysia. Richard Branson may be a super-unattractive woman, but we have to say, we love a man of his word!

And Richard had some fun of his own, getting back at his betting mate, Tony. Check out the vid to hear how he got even!