Christina Applegate has bravely shared the harsh realities of living with multiple sclerosis, revealing she spends most days confined to her bed. The 54-year-old actress, diagnosed in 2021, spoke candidly ahead of her memoir’s release, highlighting how pain limits her daily life.
A life reshaped by pain
In an interview with People magazine, Christina Applegate explained her routine revolves around her king-sized bed, leaving only to drive her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, to school. “Taking her to school has become my favourite thing to do,” she told the magazine.
What is multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease attacking the central nervous system. This has progressively worsened for Applegate. Symptoms now affect her hands, making it hard to grasp her phone or remote. She has endured over 30 hospitalisations in three years, facing extensive tests and radiation exposure, as shared on her MeSsy podcast with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS.
Memoir chronicles resilience
Her upcoming book, You With the Sad Eyes, set for March 3 release by Hachette, lays bare her journey. It covers a tough childhood in 1970s Laurel Canyon, fame, body image struggles, her mother’s addiction, and MS’s toll. Applegate notes the disease traps her with haunting memories she’d rather forget.Applegate’s candor extends to podcasts and talks. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, she discussed naming her limbs to cope, journaling since age 10, and raising MS awareness. “It’s tough. I won’t sugarcoat it,” she told Kimmel. Her friendship with Ed O’Neill endures, a bright spot from her sitcom days.Parenting amid health challengesThe hardest part hits close to home: being less present for Sadie. Applegate cherishes school runs but returns to bed exhausted. Her 2008 double mastectomy after breast cancer adds layers to her survivor story.
