Christina Applegate has shared more about the day-to-day reality of living with multiple sclerosis (MS), explaining that severe pain now leaves her largely confined to bed.
The actor first went public with her diagnosis in 2021, posting about the experience on X and describing how those around her helped her navigate it.
“It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition.
“It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**hole blocks it.”
MS is a chronic condition that impacts the brain and spinal cord. While there isn’t a cure, treatment and support can help many people manage symptoms and maintain quality of life.
Common symptoms can include vision problems, difficulty moving arms or legs, changes to sensation or balance, muscle stiffness, numbness, and challenges with thinking, learning, or planning.
In recent years, Applegate has continued to speak candidly about what she’s dealing with. In a new interview with People, she said she now spends much of her day in bed.
Even when movement is extremely painful, she still tries to keep up with routines for her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie—particularly school runs and activities.
“I want to take her; it’s my favorite thing to do. It’s the only time we have together by ourselves,” she said. “I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”
She acknowledged that being in bed for long stretches isn’t how she imagined life, but said it has reshaped how she views what people carry behind closed doors.
“My life isn’t wrapped up with a bow,” she explained to People. “People’s lives, sorry for lack of a better term, f****** suck sometimes. So I’m being as honest and raw as I possibly can.”
Last year, Applegate also spoke on the Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast and said Sadie has become the main reason she keeps pushing forward.
“I don’t get up in the morning with that, I get up because of her. She’s the reason I’m still here and trying,” she admitted.
She went on to share a painful moment from a recent conversation with her daughter, admitting it cut deeply because she feels that loss too.
The actor added: “But she did say to me, and we got into a big thing the other day, and sorry Sadie, but it has to be said. She said, ‘I missed who you were before you got sick’.
“That is just like a knife to the heart because I miss who I was before I got sick too. Very much.”
The Married… with Children star has also spoken about the mental and emotional weight of the illness, including how it has changed what she’s able to enjoy.
Speaking on an episode of her podcast MeSsy, the actor stated: “This is being really honest. I don’t enjoy living. I don’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy things anymore.
“If someone’s like, let’s get up and go for a walk and or let’s go get a coffee… I don’t enjoy that process.”