X17 News

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - In her first interview since announcing her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this month, Christina Applegate appeared on ABC's Good Morning America today and revealed that she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. The actress discussed her decision to have both breasts removed, as well as how she's dealt with the healing process, and announced that she is now cancer free.

Applegate's mother also battled breast cancer, and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer, which largely influenced her decision to go through with the procedure. The Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress told GMA's Robin Roberts (who battled breast cancer last year), "I just wanted to kind of be rid of it, so this was the choice I made and it was a tough one." Applegate, 36, will undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.

Applegate joked with Roberts, "I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90, so there's that. I'll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I'll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table." Though the Samantha Who? star has a sense of humor about the ordeal, she notes that there have been some dark moments. "Sometimes, you know, I cry and sometimes I scream and I get really angry and I get really like, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes," she said. "And I think that's - it's all part of healing, and anyone who's going through it out there, it's OK to cry. It's OK to fall on the ground and just scream if you want to."

Applegate learned she had cancer after receiving results from the second of two MRI tests she had done as a follow up to a biopsy from the previous year. The actress is currently putting together a program to help women at high risk for breast cancer to meet the costs of an MRI and BRCA testing, which are expensive and not always covered by insurance.

Applegate will appear in an hour-long special, "Stand Up to Cancer," which will be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5 to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - When it comes to musical collaborations, this is probably one of the biggest ones in the last decade. Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood have lent their voices to the new song "Just Stand Up," which will be released on September 2. All of the song's sales will be donated to cancer research.

What's even more impressive is that all 15 singers will share the stage to perform the song live on September 5 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special, which will air on ABC, NBC and CBS.

Other stars to appear in the special include Christina Applegate (who just recently went public with her own cancer battle), Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Lance Armstrong, Katie Couric, Sally Field, Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Reese Witherspoon.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Christina Applegate will undergo reconstructive surgery following a double mastectomy, TV Guide reports.

I still have quite a process until this is done," the actress says. "Yes, it's hard. It sucks. But I'm not a victim."

She will undergo reconstructive surgery near her 37th birthday, at the end of November. She had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in July.

Applegate, who clocks long hours on the set of her series "Samantha Who," changed her outlook on life after the diagnosis.

"I started looking for a beach house the day I found out I had this little disease," she says. "You just kind of go, 'What are you waiting for to get the things that you want and the things you dream of?'

"I don't own tomorrow or yesterday - today is all I've got," she adds. "And if I don't make today good, then I'm only gonna be p-ssed off tomorrow!"