Christina Applegate has surfaced in her first video since a four-month hospitalization.
The “Dead to Me” star, 54, posted a brief clip to Instagram on Monday showing off her freshly colored and styled light blond hair. She wore a black unzipped hoodie over a black tank top with jeans, layered necklaces, and a smile for the camera.
“Fresh hair color, new weird spot on my cheek haha,” she captioned the upload, acknowledging a small spot on her skin. “Thank you @davestanwell for brightening up my cloudy day. Love you and love to you all out there.”
Fans flooded the comments with support. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever.:)” one wrote. Another added, “You look exactly the same as when you were on ‘Married With Children.’ Amazing!” A third chimed in, “You are truly powerful,” while a fourth posted, “Gorgeous inside and out.”
The appearance marks Applegate’s first public sighting since her discharge from the hospital in early August, following an admission that began back in March. An insider said at the time that the actress was back home and doing well after the extended stay.
Her representative said that “she’s had a long history of complicated medical conditions that she has been refreshingly open about.” The exact reason for this particular hospitalization remains unclear.
In April, Applegate herself addressed the situation with fans on social media. “Thank you for the outpouring of love and well wishes,” she wrote. “Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day,” She continued, “I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.”
The hospitalization was the latest medical challenge for the “Bad Moms” star, who has been battling multiple sclerosis since 2021. In August 2025, she shared on her “MeSsy” podcast that a kidney infection had left her “screaming” and in the hospital with “so much pain.”
In a February interview, Applegate revealed she was generally confined to bed but still tried to take her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie LeNoble, to school, calling it her “favorite thing to do.” “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 shared.
Support poured in from Hollywood throughout her hospital stay. An insider who worked with Applegate on “Married… With Children” said that co-stars including Katey Sagal and Ed O’Neill, along with Will Ferrell, Jean Smart, and Linda Cardellini, were “anguished” and had reached out. “They don’t think this is it for her, she’s not dying right now,” the insider claimed. “But they wanted to make sure that nothing was left unsaid,” They added, “They told each other that they love each other.”
Her sitcom co-star David Faustino offered his own perspective in a June interview. “She gets through this with some humor, and that’s kind of her way that she moves through it,” he told the outlet. “I do a lot of visits with her. A lot of texting, a lot of checking in.”
Applegate received her MS diagnosis in 2021 and has since been candid about her struggles with the autoimmune disease, which affects the central nervous system and can cause fatigue, mobility issues, and other symptoms. She has continued working when able, co-hosting her podcast with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS.
Applegate’s podcast “MeSsy” continues releasing new episodes.