How Olivia Munn and Clea Shearer Are 'Intertwined' Because of Breast Cancer (Exclusive)

Not long after Clea Shearer first learned she had breast cancer in 2022, a friend of her husband called to see how she was doing.

“Olivia was friends with my husband John, but she and I weren’t really personal friends at that point,” the Home Edit star, 42, tells PEOPLE of actress Olivia Munn, 44. “But she was reaching out all the time. She would let me know se John, she would get back to me. She was so amazing and wonderful.”

Olivia Munn and Clea Shearer in 2022.

Clea Shearer/Instagram

And then, less than a year later, in February 2023, Munn received shocking news — and Shearer had a chance to return the favor.

“I was in New York and I got a phone call from her, and she said, ‘I’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer and I have 10 million questions,'” says Shearer. “And I said, ‘Oh my God, I’m giving up on everything. What can I do? Let me give you all the information I have.’ Olivia and I have been really intertwined for a few years now.”

Olivia Munn after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023.

Olivia Munn/Instagram

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In March 2022, Shearer was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer. Months of chemotherapy and radiation followed, along with six surgeries, including a double mastectomy and a recent procedure over the summer to remove her ovaries.

Clea Shearer in February 2024 and during cancer treatment.

John Shearer; Clea Shearer

Shearer, who recently began filming a renewed season of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which she will co-host with Home Edit partner Joanna Teplin, says that going through cancer has allowed her to be a stronger supporter for others like Munn who are dealing with something similar. . “I never give people advice, but I can speak from my own lived experience,” she says.

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That’s part of the reason Shearer recently teamed up with drugmaker Eli Lilly to share her story. “I remember at the very beginning of my cancer journey thinking, ‘I’m going to make this cancer have a purpose,’ and I made that my mission every day,” says Shearer. “All I can do is share my experience in the hope that it matters and is helpful to people. And I will continue to do so until my last breath.”

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Source: HIS Education