Christina Applegate Says She Will Keep Advocating for MS Community Despite Misdiagnosis

Christina Applegate says she will remain an advocate for people with multiple sclerosis, even after learning she was misdiagnosed with the disease. She made the comments on the latest episode of MeSsY, the podcast she hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, released Tuesday.

Reflecting on her recent revelation that she does not have MS, Applegate said the relationships she built with listeners and friends in the community have not changed. "I'm still your warrior, and I'm still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever," she said. "Despite not having MS, I still feel like part of this community. No matter what, I love you."

Applegate, the Married.. with Children star, said in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS. She retired from acting in 2022 after the final season of the Netflix series Dead to Me. At 54, she has since worked as an advocate for the MS community and started MeSsY with Sigler, a Sopranos actress who was diagnosed with MS in 2001.

Last week, Applegate announced on the podcast that she had recently learned the diagnosis was wrong. She said her condition has not improved, which made the news difficult to process. "You don't get misdiagnosed, and then all of a sudden, I'm better," she said. "I haven't gotten better, Jamie. If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways."

As a result, she said, she is back at square one in understanding what is happening to her. Her doctors will investigate what has been going on since 2021, she explained, describing it as an "online investigation."

In this week's episode, Applegate also gave an update on her symptoms, which she believes may point to another undiagnosed illness. She said she timed herself that day and found it took 10 minutes to move off her pillow, get out of bed and stand. By then, she said, she could barely walk to the bathroom, and a walker now sits beside her bed.

"This is what I'm still living with, and I never had that before," Applegate said. "I was able to sit up and stuff." She added that she does not know what is causing it.

She also said she has recently lost "too much" weight, and described how it has changed her appearance. "The more you lose in your face, the older you look," she said, noting that her jowls look more pronounced because her face has become hollow.