On Tuesday, Good Morning America released a pre-recorded interview with Selma Blair, her first since her devastating diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in October 2018. The interview comes just days after the brave actress, 46, made an emotional return to the red carpet at the Oscars' Vanity Fair afterparty on Sunday evening.
Talking to Robin Roberts, the 46-year-old explained that opening up about her illness was important as it would allow others to understand what her condition looked like: "I am doing very well, I am very happy to see you. Being able to just put out what being in the middle of an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis is like. So, my speech, I have spasmodic dysphonia right now…It is interesting to be here to say this is what my particular case looks like right now."
The actress told her son Arthur after several MRI scans
Although the Legally Blonde star has now come to terms with the unpredictable disease, receiving the diagnosis was still heart-breaking: "I cried- I had tears, they weren't tears of panic, they were tears of knowing I now had to give in to a body that had loss of control. And there was some relief in that." The relief came after a prolonged struggle with tiredness and pain after the birth of her son Arthur in 2011, admitting that the severe discomfort led her to "self-medicate." It was at this point that Selma had been given several different causes to her symptoms, including exhaustion from single parenthood or stress of financial burdens. But Selma explains that she knew the devastating consequences of this illness were much more serious than a lack of sleep, recalling a specific time: "I dropped my son off at school a mile away and before I got home, I'd have to pull over and take a nap…it was killing me. And so, when I got the diagnosis, I cried with relief."
READ MORE: Selma Blair makes emotional red carpet appearance at the Oscars after her MS diagnosis
The mum-of-one revealed that Michael J. Fox, who has lived with Parkinson's disease for nearly thirty years "really helped her" through her tough time, crediting the fellow actor for giving her hope when she did not understand why she was struggling with simple tasks.
Selma Blair made her emotional return to the red carpet at the Oscars' Vanity Fair afterparty
Although her son, Arthur, was aware there was something going on, the actress stated, "I always want him to feel safe and never responsible to me" and decided to openly speak to the seven-year-old about her condition, reassuring him that the disease did not currently put her in a critical condition. "He had already seen that I was falling and doing things and I was always laughing, and he would imitate me and I was like that’s fine… and so I did have to tell him after the MRI's that I have something called Multiple Sclerosis." In response to the news, the star explained that the youngster "almost cried and said 'Will it kill you?' and I said 'no, I mean we never know what kills us Arthur but this is not the doctor telling me I am dying, and he was like 'Oh ok!" The Brown's Requiem star explained that she now knows some days there are limits: "I get in bed and I don't move… I know not to feel guilty about that now."
READ MORE: When Angelina Jolie's children steal the show – see their cutest red carpet moments
In her interview, Selma is full of hope, explaining: "In a year, I could have 90% of my abilities back."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.