Christina Applegate learned she does not have multiple sclerosis
- Christina Applegate learned from her doctor days before a recent podcast episode that she does not have multiple sclerosis, upending a diagnosis she carried for years, ledauphine.com reported.
- Applegate's health began deteriorating in 2021, leading to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that disrupts communication between the brain and the body, causing walking difficulties,...
- J’avais une putain de raison pour laquelle mes journées étaient un enfer.
Christina Applegate learned from her doctor days before a recent podcast episode that she does not have multiple sclerosis, upending a diagnosis she carried for years, ledauphine.com reported. The actor, known for her roles in Married… with Children, Friends, and Dead to Me, revealed the medical update on her podcast, MeSsy, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
A Five-Year Misdiagnosis and Mental Health Toll
Applegate’s health began deteriorating in 2021, leading to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that disrupts communication between the brain and the body, causing walking difficulties, potential leg paralysis, and severe pain that often confines her to bed. She now uses a cane or wheelchair and has shifted her career to voiceover work and podcasting. Yet, during the podcast episode released on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, she shared that her physician recently delivered unexpected news: Félicitations, vous n’avez pas la sclérose en plaques !
While acknowledging it is ostensibly good news, Applegate said the revelation destabilized her mental health.
Christina Applegate reveals she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis.“This may come as great news, but to me, I’m back at square one. It’s hard to say that [my doctor] came into my room and she said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS'… You don’t get misdiagnosed and… pic.twitter.com/S4Vcx8nB4o”
J’avais une raison. J’avais une putain de raison pour laquelle mes journées étaient un enfer. Et maintenant, je n’en ai plus, et c’est très déstabilisant et vraiment déroutant,
she stated on the podcast. The actor described falling into a deep depression, noting that her physical reality has not improved despite the corrected diagnosis. J’ai traversé une profonde dépression à cause de ça. J’ai tout perdu. J’ai perdu mon travail… Ma vie s’est arrêtée net. Je dois encore me déplacer en fauteuil roulant pour aller chez le médecin. Je ne peux pas marcher de la voiture à la salle d’examen. Je suis toujours dans cette situation. Il ne s’est rien passé de magique,
she added, emphasizing that the disease remains difficult to diagnose due to divergent symptoms.
Memoir Release and Ongoing Literary Success
Despite managing severe physical limitations daily, Applegate released her book You with the Sad Eyes in March 2026. The publication is based on personal journals she kept for nearly 40 years, covering her early trauma, her Hollywood career, and her experience with the illness. The memoir subsequently reached the number-one spot on The New York Times best-seller list.