Christina Applegate has opened up about her agonizing struggles with multiple sclerosis (MS), sharing the raw realities of living with the chronic disease.
On the latest episode of her MeSsy podcast, Christina, 52, spoke candidly with her co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS, and their guest, bakery owner Rory Kandel, who was diagnosed with the same condition. Together, the three women shared their experiences with a vulnerability that left listeners both moved and inspired.
“I lie in bed screaming,” Christina revealed, describing the intense, sharp pains that plague her on a daily basis. “The ache, the squeezing—it’s like a vice grip that just won’t let go.”
Rory, who joined the podcast to discuss her own journey with MS, related to Christina’s experience, comparing the pain to feeling as though “knives” were piercing her stomach. “I’ll wake up, and I physically can’t turn from side to side,” she shared.
Christina responded with a grim nod, acknowledging how even getting out of bed has become an ordeal. “I put my feet on the ground, and it’s like they’re on fire. They hurt so much just to touch,” she admitted.
For Christina, simple tasks that once seemed effortless have become daily challenges. “I can’t even pick up my phone sometimes,” she shared. “The MS has traveled into my hands, and now I’ll go to grab my phone or the remote and sometimes I can’t even hold them.” She continued, with a touch of humor, “I can’t open bottles anymore, so goodbye to pickle jars!”
In one poignant moment, Christina revealed the depth of her daily struggles, joking about staying in bed all day and even resorting to diapers when the journey to the bathroom feels insurmountable. “I don’t actually lie here in a diaper—that’s a joke—but sometimes it feels like that’s the only option,” she quipped, adding levity to an otherwise heavy conversation. “It’s just so incredibly painful, awkward, and isolating.”
Christina’s journey with MS began in early 2021, and she has been incredibly open about her diagnosis. In the face of an incurable disease that damages the central nervous system and attacks the protective coating around nerve fibers, she has bravely continued to work and advocate for awareness.
However, as her health has continued to decline, the actress made the difficult decision to step back from her career. In 2022, she announced that Dead to Me would likely be her last acting role, a bittersweet moment for her many fans around the world.
As the conversation on the podcast continued, Christina spoke about the toll that MS has taken on her career and personal life. She shared with her listeners how, in addition to the daily pain and fatigue, she now contends with 30 lesions on her brain, which have impacted her physical abilities and daily functioning. “There are days when I just lie in bed all the time,” she admitted, acknowledging the emotional weight of MS as well as the physical pain.
Despite the heartbreak and loss, Christina remains a loving mother to her daughter, a role that inspires her to keep going, even on the toughest days.
Jamie-Lynn, her podcast co-host and a fellow MS warrior, also shared her admiration for Christina’s strength. “You’re inspiring so many people,” she told her.