Dr. Kristi Funk, the surgeon who performed Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy, graces the cover of the September issue of Los Angeles magazine. In the issue, she discusses how Jolie came to the decision to remove both of her breasts and what compelled the actress to be so public about it.

"[Jolie] knew always that in her philanthropic core she couldn't keep this a secret and be who she is," said Funk. "She always knew."

In May, Jolie revealed she had the procedure in an Op-Ed piece published in The New York Times. The actress said that she had both of her breasts removed and intended to also have her ovaries removed as well after doctors discovered that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which is believed to increase a woman’s risk of cancer.

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer," Jolie wrote. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could."

Funk said that the decision to go public about her mastectomy was difficult for Jolie, who is intensely private. But, ultimately, she felt compelled to share her story in hopes of helping others.

"When someone who is arguably the most beautiful woman in the world removes the part of her body that is symbolic of femininity and sexuality, you have to say, 'Why would she do that?'" Funk explained. “She is intensely private, but she calculated the moment when she would be ready to reveal something so personal." Funk is a doctor at Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills. The clinic specializes in helping women survive breast cancer, a cause that Funk says is very dear to her.

“So many men and women emerge stronger from this disease,” she said. “They surprise themselves with their resilience. It’s almost like they fall in love with themselves for having endured something so threatening and then emerged victorious from it.” The September issue of Los Angeles magazine will be on newsstands Aug. 20.