Legendary actress and all-around queen Kathy Bates is serving us life lessons and a healthy dose of sass in her latest interview. At 76, she’s spilling on why she chose not to have reconstruction surgery after her double mastectomy back in 2012. Sitting down on MeSsy with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Kathy got real about her decision, proving once again that she’s got more courage (and probably better punchlines) than the rest of us.
So here’s the deal: After beating breast cancer 12 years ago (and ovarian cancer before that, because apparently, cancer doesn’t know who it’s messing with), Kathy said “no thanks” to reconstruction. And it’s not because she didn’t like having breasts. Oh, she liked them just fine—they just happened to weigh in at around ten pounds each. (Imagine carrying around twin watermelons 24/7. No wonder she’s into the new setup!)
When a friend suggested she reconsider, Kathy was like, “Nah, I’m good.” In her words, she wasn’t looking to jump through the extra hoops. “I mean, I was single, I wasn’t exactly planning to start a romance novel series about me and my new breasts,” she explained. “So I thought…why do I have to?”
And that’s not all. Kathy’s actually kind of into her new chest-less self, describing it as “strangely liberating.” She’s swapped out the weighty real deal for something far more manageable and stylish—a special camisole setup on the Matlock set that’s basically Spanx for your torso. “They threw in some faux cups, and voilà! I’m shapely again without all the extra fuss.”
The best part? She feels fantastic about it. “I used to try these prosthetic things when I went out, but they were heavy, hot, and as cheerful as a pair of ankle weights,” she laughed. “Now I go out comfortable, light, and happier than ever.”
Kathy Bates, redefining what it means to be a fearless, fabulous 76-year-old. Whether she’s showing up as herself or donning those “false-y cups,” she’s just doing her thing—no compromises, no apologies, and a level of cool we can all aspire to.
