Christina Applegate’s teenage daughter greeted her with a bluntly affectionate welcome-home message after the actress spent nearly four months hospitalized.
Sadie Grace LeNoble, 15, arranged a garland that read “You’re home. Happy day, ho” for her mother, Applegate, 54, who was discharged in early August after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital in March. The “Dead to Me” star shared the photo on Instagram Monday, writing, “[I] meant to post this a while ago. My kid is so my kid hahaha.”
Applegate, who went public with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2021, broke her silence about the health scare in April with an Instagram post showing a coffee mug atop her memoir, “You with the Sad Eyes,” She wrote:
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and well wishes. Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick …. I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.”
She added that she was “getting stronger and better every day.”
The hospitalization’s connection to her autoimmune disease was never officially confirmed. A representative said, “I have no comment on whether she is in the hospital or what her medical treatments are. She has had a long history of complicated medical conditions that she has been refreshingly open about, as evidence in her memoir and on her podcast.”
Reports in April painted a grim picture of the “Married… with Children” alum’s condition, with a source saying that those close to her were fearing the worst. “With every setback, if we are being realistic, everyone has it in the back of their minds that they might not have a tomorrow with her,” the source said. “Christina is a fighter, but her battle with MS has been treacherous. She has better days and really bad days; she doesn’t have great days. She’s always dealing with something. It sucks.”
The same source noted that her support system helps her through the darkest moments. “But when she does look at things positively, it makes her feel better in the moment because she has so many friends that are there for her, even to listen to her, cry with her and anything in between.”
Applegate first revealed her diagnosis in August 2021 on X, writing, “Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition.” She seemed to reference her “The Sweetest Thing” co-star Selma Blair, diagnosed with MS in 2018, among those supporters. She continued:
“It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a–hole blocks it.”
The toll on her family has been profound. Applegate has spoken about how her disease has affected Sadie, admitting in past interviews that her battle with MS has “broken” her daughter. She described watching Sadie observe her struggles: “I see her look at me when I’m in bed and can’t quite move, or I want to go say good night 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.”
Despite these challenges, Applegate has emphasized her daughter’s steadfast presence. She said Sadie has “always got [her] arm” throughout her journey with the disease.
Applegate shares Sadie with her husband, Dutch musician Martyn LeNoble.
Applegate continues to host her podcast “MeSsy” with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, also diagnosed with MS, where she discusses life with the disease.