Christina Applegate has bravely shared the harsh realities of living with multiple sclerosis, revealing that she spends most of her days confined to her bed. The 54-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2021, spoke candidly ahead of the release of her memoir, highlighting how pain limits her daily life.
A life reshaped by pain
In an interview with People magazine, Christina Applegate explained that her routine revolves around her big bed, leaving only her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, to school. “Taking her to school has become my favorite thing to do,” she told the magazine.
What is multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system. This gradually got worse for Applegate. The symptoms are now affecting her hands, making it difficult to hold her phone or remote control.
She endured more than 30 hospitalizations in three years, faced extensive testing and radiation, as she shared on her MeSsy podcast with Jamie Lyn Sigler, who also suffers from MS.
A memoir chronicling resilience
Her upcoming book, Sad-Eyed You, scheduled to be released March 3 by Hachette, reveals her journey. It covers a difficult childhood in the 1970s in Laurel Canyon, fame, body image struggles, her mother’s addiction, and the toll of MS. Applegate noticed that the disease surrounded her with painful memories that she would rather forget.
Applegate’s candor extends to podcasts and conversations. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, she discussed naming her limbs to cope, journaling since age 10, and raising awareness of MS. “It’s hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” she told Kimmel. Her friendship with Ed O’Neill continued, a bright spot from her sitcom days.Parenting amid health challengesThe hardest part falls closer to home: being less present for Sadie. Applegate loves going to school but goes back to bed exhausted. The double mastectomy she had in 2008 after being diagnosed with breast cancer adds layers to her survival story.
