Christina Applegate is opening up more than ever about her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). It has been about four years since the actress was diagnosed with the illness. In a recent episode of Hoda Kotb’s Making Space podcast, the Dead to Me star got emotional as she revealed how the illness had changed her life and identity, admitting that she was still learning to cope with the reality of her condition.
Applegate, 53, was first diagnosed with MS in 2021 while filming the final season of Dead to Me, a role that later earned her an Emmy nomination. Since then, she has been honest and vulnerable about her symptoms, often describing the disease as both physically painful and emotionally overwhelming.
Christina Applegate’s MS update – she thinks it’s getting worse
Christina Applegate first revealed her MS diagnosis publicly in August 2021 in a post on social media. She kept the details brief at the time, asking for privacy and support. But over the years, she has continued to share pieces of her story, especially with her podcast co-host and fellow actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has lived with MS for more than two decades.
On a recent episode of their podcast MeSsy, Applegate admitted that her illness now defined her and that she finds it difficult to even walk to the bathroom. In November 2024, she opened up about the daily pain she experienced, saying that some nights, she was in agony. She also described the difficulty she sometimes encountered in completing simple tasks like picking up her phone, opening bottles, or holding a remote.
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Living with grief
In December 2024, Dead to Me creator Liz Feldman appeared on MeSsy and recalled Applegate’s early MS symptoms on set, even before the diagnosis. Applegate remembered falling during a scene and later realized it had been one of her first signs of the disease.
At the time, Liz Feldman also noticed Christina’s loss of balance but assumed it was due to exhaustion from long filming hours. Applegate used the moment to reflect on what the illness has taken from her and how playing the role of Jen Harding on Dead to Me taught her about grief.