Actress Jackie Tohn is opening up about the deeply personal health decision that followed her BRCA1 genetic testing results. During a recent appearance on TODAY, the Nobody Wants This star revealed that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction after discovering she carried the BRCA1 mutation, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Tohn explained that the discovery came after her father developed metastatic tumors under his arm in early 2025. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with male breast cancer and found he was BRCA1-positive after hereditary genetic testing. Shortly afterward, Tohn decided to get tested herself. “You’re a 50 percent chance of having it,” she recalled being told before learning she also carried the mutation. Genetic counseling later revealed she had an estimated 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
At first, Tohn said she didn’t even know what her options were. “It’s like someone giving you a single nail and being like, build the house, there’s a field,” she explained. After assembling a medical team she trusted, she underwent a double mastectomy with direct-to-implant reconstruction in December. Following surgery, pathology reports revealed multiple precancerous cells were found in the breast tissue of both breasts, validating the difficult decision she made.
Now, Tohn is partnering with genetic testing company Myriad Genetics to encourage people to learn more about hereditary cancer risks. On TODAY, she shared the three major indicators that could signal someone should consider genetic testing. “They say that the three things you should look out for are rare, young and multiple,” she said. “If there’s a rare cancer in your family, like with my dad it was male breast cancer, ovarian, pancreatic… if someone in your family had cancer really young or multiple.” She also noted that Ashkenazi Jewish heritage can increase BRCA risk. Tohn encouraged viewers to visit LearnMyRisk.com “to find out if hereditary cancer testing is right for you.”
Even while navigating a major health scare, Tohn leaned on humor to get through it. She shared on her Instagram that ahead of surgery, she hosted a goodbye celebration for her breasts called “Ta Ta to Jackie’s Tatas,” complete with a “Boob Voyage” sign and breast-themed party décor she found online. After recovering, she held a second gathering cheekily named “Tits Two.” Sharing the experience on social media, Tohn wrote that “laughing and celebrating (and crying so unbelievably much) is the only way I know how to get through stuff,” adding that she comes from “a long line of wiseass survivors.”