Christina Applegate has told the multiple sclerosis community that her advocacy will not end, even though she has learned she does not have the disease. She made the comments on the "MeSsy" podcast, one week after disclosing that her MS diagnosis was a mistake.
Speaking with co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who was diagnosed with MS in 2001, the Emmy winner said people living with the condition are still "my people." As quoted by Entertainment Weekly, Applegate said: "Even though I don't have this disease, I've fallen in love with everyone that we know, our listeners, our friends that have MS."
She added a direct message of loyalty to listeners. "I'm still your warrior, and I'm still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever. Despite not having MS. I still feel like part of this community. No matter what, I love you."
Applegate first revealed an MS diagnosis in 2021. The following year, she retired from acting after the finale of her hit series "Dead to Me." She went on to become a vocal advocate for people with the disease, which damages the central nervous system, and co-founded the "MeSsy" podcast to share her experience and raise awareness.
On the newest episode, she described the symptoms she continues to face from an illness that now has no diagnosis. She said she timed herself that day and it took 10 minutes to move off her pillow, get out of bed and stand. She said she then almost could not walk to the bathroom, and that a walker now sits beside her bed. "I don't know what's going on," she said. "This is what I'm still living with, and I never had that before."
The latest installment follows a seven-month break from the podcast. Applegate returned on Oct. 21 and cried as she told listeners that new technology had led to the discovery that she had been misdiagnosed.
"This may come as great news, but to me, I'm back at square one," she said. She recalled that her doctor came into her room and said, "Congratulations, you don't have MS." Applegate noted that a misdiagnosis does not mean sudden improvement. "I haven't gotten better," she said, adding that in some ways she has gotten worse.
Applegate also said she feels she let people down after becoming such a prominent voice for the MS community. She described herself as still in a "state of shock." The latest episode of "MeSsy" is available to stream.
