Angelina Jolie praises Brad Pitt's support during double mastectomy

Angelina Jolie, who revealed Tuesday that she recently had a preventative double mastectomy, said she was grateful for the support she received from longtime partner (and, as of last year, fiance) Brad Pitt.

In an op-ed in the The New York Times, the actress and humanitarian wrote: "I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition."

"Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries," she added. "We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has."

Jolie said she made the decision to have a preventative double mastectomy after after learning she has a "faulty" gene that gave her an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer. The Oscar winner, whose mother died from cancer at age 56, said that she went public with her story in hopes of helping other women.

"I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience," she said. "Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people's hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action."

Pitt, meanwhile, had some kind words of his own to say about Jolie, calling her decision "heroic."

"Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus," he said, according to the U.K.'s Evening Standard. "All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."