Christina Applegate was in Italy enjoying some rest and relaxation, and smoking!

You might recall Applegate had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, so she opted for the surgery rather than die as her mother did. In August of 2008 after choosing to have the surgery Applegate said:

"I didn’t want to go back to the doctors every four months for testing and squishing and everything."

"I just wanted to kind of get rid of this whole thing for me," she said of the prophylactic double mastectomy. "This was the choice that I made and it was a tough one.

"My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy."

Applegate, the 36-year-old star, who will return to work on her ABC sitcom Samantha Who? in mid-September, is now "absolutely 100 percent clear and clean" of cancer and planning reconstructive surgery.

"I’m going to have cute b@@bs ’til I’m 90, so there’s that," she joked. "I’ll have the best b@@bs in the nursing home. I’ll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table."

The decision was an emotional one.

"Sometimes, you know, I cry," she said. "And sometimes I scream. And I get really angry. And I get really upset, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes. And I think that it’s all part of the healing."

Applegate said she gained insight into the disease from her mom, Nancy Priddy, a repeat breast cancer survivor.

"She’s been sort of this quiet warrior in the back and has been a great support, and just telling me that I was going to be OK," she said. "And I knew I was going to be OK. I’ve watched her.

"I’ve watched her have a mastectomy, and then I’ve watched her go through two years of chemotherapy and eight surgeries and a hysterectomy," Applegate added. "I’ve watched this woman survive both those things. So, for me, there was always that sense that I was going to be OK, no matter what."

The actress’ cancer was discovered earlier this year during a follow-up exam.

"If this had been caught a year from now, or when I was 40, I probably wouldn’t be able to live through this."

Applegate had reconstructive surgery to make her chest look close to normal. She beat breast cancer, so why is Applegate risking lung cancer by smoking. Don’t waste your second chance.

Christina Applegate (36) says she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago, and she’ll undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months. That’s the bad news. The good news is, she’s cancer free. Applegate said:

"I’m going to have cute boobs ’til I’m 90, so there’s that. I’ll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I’ll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table."

Applegate called the operation a logical decision. Her mother battled breast cancer, and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Applegate’s cancer was detected early through a doctor-ordered MRI.

"I just wanted to kind of be rid of it, so this was the choice I made and it was a tough one."

"Sometimes, you know, I cry and sometimes I scream and I get really angry and I get really like, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes, and I think that it’s all part of healing, and anyone who’s going through it out there, it’s OK to cry. It’s OK to fall on the ground and just scream if you want to."

"I’ve laughed so much in the last three weeks. I love living, and I really love my life, and I knew that from this moment on it was only going to be good that was going to be coming. Yeah, I’ll face challenges, but you can’t get any darker than where I’ve been. So knowing that in my soul gave me the strength to just say, ’I have to get out there and make this a positive.’"

Applegate, who started getting mammograms six years ago after she turned 30, said the cancer was found through the second of two MRI tests as a follow-up from a biopsy she had last year. After being diagnosed only one month ago she says:

"I’m clear. Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean. They got everything out, so I’m definitely not going to die from breast cancer."

Applegate is scheduled to appear on a one-hour TV special, "Stand Up to Cancer," to be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5 to raise funds for cancer research. She said she’s starting a program to help women at high risk for breast cancer to meet the costs of an MRI, which is not always covered by insurance.

Lee Grivas (26), who was the boyfriend of Christina Applegate (36), was found dead in his apartment. His body was discovered on July 1 by a neighbor who found him in the living room of his Hollywood apartment. Grivas was pronounced dead at 5:25 PM.

Even though Lee’s death was from an apparent drug overdose, an autopsy will still be done to confirm this conclusion. Such a bummer, and right before the fourth of July.

Lt. Fred Corral of the L.A. Department of Coroner said:

"Grivas did have a history of drug abuse, and our investigator found a syringe at the scene, but we’re not making any preliminary conclusions until a toxicology report is completed."

Applegate released the following statement:

"I am profoundly saddened. Lee was an incredible human being who was an extremely important and beautiful part of my life. He is missed beyond words. He touched so many and I feel much sadness for his mother, brother, and all of his family and friends."

Nicole Richie upset Christina Aguilera when it was reported that Nicole’s baby cover outsold Christina’s. Drama sells. MSNBC reports:

“There’s also a greater element of curiosity with Nicole. She’s gone public about being a heroin addict. Her boyfriend is covered in tattoos. By default, she’s got the more interesting baby. People want to see how she settles down. They want to see what kind of baby someone with her background has.”

By interesting, they mean the baby of a heroin addict. Trainwrecks sell, rags to ritches sells, and recovering addicts sell. We love to see celebrities destroy themselves, then come back from the ashes of their life to become an even bigger success. Once Britney gets better she could be a great example. Now we’ll have to see if Jennifer Lopez’s babies were worth the $6 million People paid for her twin baby pictures.

Despite finalizing their divorce in August Christina Applegate (35) and Johnathon Schaech (38) still like to make out in public, just because they feel like it. A source said:

"They just made out all of a sudden," an observer tells PEOPLE. "They didn’t really look around to see who was looking, it just happened, but it wasn’t that weird after. They just went along talking to friends and separated soon after and both kept partying."

Who says exes can’t be friends. I’m sure once Christina and Johnathon find a new someone special they’ll be completely okay with Christina and Johnathon remaining friends, as long as they’re into group sex.