The boyfriend of Angelina Jolie's mother tells INSIDE EDITION about the medical history that has plagued the movie star's family for generations.
It's a dark cloud that has hung over Angelina Jolie her entire life. Jolie's mother succombed to ovarian cancer at the age of 56.
Bill Day was the boyfriend of Jolie's mother for 12 years. He actually helped raise Jolie.
Day told INSIDE EDITION's Diane McInerney, "Angie was acutely aware that cancer was killing her mother's side of the family. People she grew up with were all dying. Her mother died. Her uncle died. Her grandfather, her grandmother. Everybody on that side of the family all died of cancer."
Bill shared some home movies he made of Jolie's gorgeous mom, Marcheline. He says she lived in constant fear of cancer because of her family history and was obsessed with healthy living.
"She had a very strict regime because as she believed, if she drank lemon and water every day, it would help her immune system. Angelina would see this every day and know what it was for," said Day.
But Marcheline could not escape the family curse.
And now, INSIDE EDITION has learned that another close relative in Angelina Jolie's family is fighting for her life.
Jolie's aunt Debbie, her beloved mom's sister, is battling Stage 4 breast cancer. Day looked through photos that show the family resemblance, even though she is clearly very ill.
"That's Debbie. She's lost a lot of weight. She's been in chemotherapy," said Day. "Debbie is really struggling. She's in a desperate situation right now.?
He says he was shocked when he heard of Jolie's double mastectomy, but given the loss her family has suffered going back at least three generations, he's not at all surprised.
McInerney asked, " You reached out to Angelina. What did you tell her?"
"I let her know that I was proud of her. It takes a lot of courage to do what she did, but it comes from a fear of cancer that was already instilled by what's happened to the rest of her mother's family," said Day.
