Days after her wedding, Jamie-Lynn Sigler has some big news to share. The 35-year-old Sopranos actress has revealed that she has been secretly battling multiple sclerosis for the past 15 years, having been diagnosed with the degenerative disease when she just 19.In a candid interview, Jamie-Lynn said she hadn't previously felt emotionally prepared to reveal her condition to the public.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler has revealed she's been secretly battling MS for 15 years
"I wasn't ready until now," Jamie-Lynn told People. "You'd think that after all these years, somebody would be settled with something like this, but it's still quite hard to accept."The star said she was symptom-free "for quite some time", but that the disease, which damages the central nervous system, had "reared its ugly head over the past decade. "I can't walk for long periods of time without resting," she revealed, adding with a laugh: "No superhero roles for me! Stairs? I can do them but they are not the easiest. When I walk I have to think about every single step, which is annoying and frustrating."
The actress credited her new husband and their son for giving her the courage to speak out
The revelation comes just a few days after Jamie-Lynn married baseball player Cutter Dykstra in Palm Springs. They were joined by around 150 friends and family, including their two-year-old son Beau.Crediting her new husband and their little boy for giving her the courage to speak out, Jamie-Lynn added: "I'm at a point in my life with my son, with my new marriage, it's a new me. I don't want to hold a secret where it feels like I have something to be ashamed of or have something to hide. It's part of me, but it's not who I am."The star added that she also felt it was important to speak out for Beau's benefit. "I didn't want him to get to an age where he felt like he had to keep this secret for me as well," she admitted. "I wanted to be an example to him of strength and courage."