Christina Applegate is home from the hospital, has a fresh hairdo, and is continuing to provide an open and vulnerable look into her treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Applegate, the coolest of the 90s cool girls, originally shared her MS diagnosis in 2021. The official diagnosis followed what the actress described as six or seven years of symptoms including leg-locking, tingling sensation in her toes, and mobility issues. She credits Selma Blair, her “Sweetest Thing” costar who received her own MS diagnosis in 2018, with convincing her to get tested. Now, she pays it forward by sharing details of her experience on her podcast, “MeSsy”, which she cohosts with actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler—who has been open about her own 25-year battle with the disease.
On Monday, Applegate posted a video of herself with a new look, shouting out hairstylist Dave Stanwell for brightening her “cloudy day.” In keeping with her no-bullshit approach to life as a public figure with a chronic neurological disorder, she included in the caption: “Weird spot on my cheek haha.” The weird spot being a new pigmentation mark, but I think it accentuates her new shade of blond quite nicely.
This followed a post from September 14, of a sign her daughter hung to welcome her home from a hospital stay, reading “yay, you’re home, happy day ho” accompanied with the caption “my kid is so my kid.” May we all be so lucky as to receive a traditional ho’s welcome in a dark time.
Since Applegate’s diagnosis, she has tallied over 30 hospital visits, innumerable medical tests, a variety of symptoms ranging from uncomfortable to unbearable, and all of the mental health peril that comes with living with a chronic illness. Her commitment to slashing the stigma around every part of illness by sharing the “ugly” parts of her experience, educating the public about MS, and rocking a gorgeous fresh head of highlights has not wavered.
