Angelina Jolie 'wanted to support people'

Angelina Jolie went public with her preventative double mastectomy to show it "doesn't have to be a scary thing".

The 38-year-old actress announced she had undergone the procedure by writing a piece for the New York Times. She decided on the treatment after genetic tests showed she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.

The star's fiancé Brad Pitt has been a huge source of support for her, with Angelina making her first public appearance since the news broke at the London premiere of his movie World War Z earlier this month.

"Her idea was that if someone could learn from her story, then she would love to share that," Brad told Good Morning America today. "But it's just been a beautiful thing to watch and her focus now is that all people have access to the testing and know what they can do about it. And she has certainly shown if you do your research and make your decision, what’s best for you, it doesn't have to be a scary thing."

Angelina and Brad raise six children together, with the kids at the front of Angelina mind when she made her decision. She lost her mother Marcheline Bertrand in 2007 at the age of 56 after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

Brad has reassured fans his partner is well and has thanked them for their support.

"Business as usual. She's doing great," he added to George Stephanopoulos. "When she wrote her piece, we had already come out the other end and we're feeling really good about it. We're really surprised and moved by how many people are dealing with the same issue, or wondering about the same issue."

Angelina underwent several operations and finished the three-month process on April 27.