Christina Applegate, 49, has multiple sclerosis. “Hi friends,” she wrote on Twitter on Aug. 10. “A few months a go 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. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**hole blocks it. As one of my friends with MS said, ‘We wake up and take the indicated action.’ And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo.”
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. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it.
— christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease which causes the body to eat away at its own nerve tissue. While Christina did not reveal the exact symptoms she’s been experiencing, MS is known to sometimes lead to pain, fatigue, vision issues and impaired coordination. The symptoms can vary from patient to patient, with some dealing with ongoing pain, as others are able to live symptom-free. Sadly, there is no cure for MS at this time, although there are various ways for patients to help manage their symptoms and pain.
As one of my friends that has MS said “ we wake up and take the indicated action”. And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo
— christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021
This is not the first medical issue that Christina has dealt with. In 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but revealed that she was cancer-free after a double mastectomy. She detected the breast cancer early on through an MRI ordered by her doctor. Christina’s mother was also a breast cancer survivor, and the actress had inherited the BRCA1 mutation (a genetic trait that can trigger breast or ovarian cancer).
Other celebrities who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis include Selma Blair, Jack Osbourne and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Selma has been particularly open about her journey with the disease since revealing her diagnosis in Oct. 2018. Her symptoms have included “occasional falling, dropping things and foggy memory.” Christina and Selma both starred in the 2002 film, The Sweetest Thing.