Christina Applegate and her daughter Sadie at the Screen Actors Guild awards in 2023. The actor has spoken about her life with multiple sclerosis. Photograph: Sipa US/Alamy
Christina Applegate has shared a difficult update about her health, revealing that she now spends much of her time in bed nearly five years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Speaking in an interview with People magazine ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, the 54-year-old actor explained that persistent pain has significantly limited her mobility. Many days, she said, movement is simply too painful, leaving her largely bedbound.
Despite the challenges, Applegate remains committed to one daily routine that means the world to her: driving her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, to school. She described the trip as her “favourite thing to do.”
“It’s the only time we have together by ourselves,” she said, explaining how she pushes through the discomfort for those moments. “I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”
Below is an interview with the actor explaining how she felt when she was diagnosed with ML.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers. This disruption makes it harder for the brain to communicate with the rest of the body. For many patients, the disease brings increasing difficulty with walking and movement, and in severe cases can lead to paralysis in the legs.
The condition disproportionately affects women. While MS is rarely fatal, it can shorten life expectancy by an average of five to ten years and often significantly impacts quality of life.
Applegate first rose to fame as a child actor on the hit sitcom Married... with Children. In her new memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, she reflects on her upbringing in Los Angeles, including the struggles she witnessed as her mother, Nancy Priddy, battled heroin addiction and endured abusive relationships.
“My life isn’t wrapped up with a bow,” Applegate said candidly. “People’s lives — sorry for lack of a better term — fucking suck sometimes. So I’m being as honest and raw as I possibly can.”
She emphasized that while the memoir is not meant to be traditionally inspirational, readers may still find meaning in her honesty. “We all have come from somewhere, some places more painful than others, and it’s what you do with it, I guess. This is not an inspirational book, by any means. But it can inspire.”
Credit : Kevin Winter/Getty
The actress has previously spoken about the emotional toll her illness has had on her daughter. She described the heartbreak of seeing Sadie watch her struggle on difficult days.
“I see her look at me when I’m in bed and can’t quite move, or I want to go say goodnight to her in her room, but I can’t quite get down the hallway for whatever reason that my legs aren’t working that day … mommy can’t do all the things that she used to be able to do, and I see it in her eyes. I see it.”
Applegate has faced serious health challenges before. In 2008, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Today, she has shifted much of her professional focus to voice acting. She also co-hosts the podcast MeSsy alongside her friend and fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who is also living with multiple sclerosis.
