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Christina Applegate is not in a wheelchair. However, she was wheeled to the set during the production of Dead to Me. Since 2021, the Bad Moms star has been battling multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease.
She says she "can’t walk without a cane" and accepts it as part of her "new normal" because she has mobility and balance problems and usually uses a cane or walking stick in her daily life.
Born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Christina Applegate made her television debut at three months old, marking the beginning of her acting career. She gained fame as Kelly Bundy in the American sitcom Married... with Children (1987–1997). The Anchorman star gained various nominations and awards for her performance on television and in cinema.
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What condition does Christina Applegate have?
Christina Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021, a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the protective myelin layer around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, disrupting neural communication.
Before being diagnosed, Applegate had symptoms including weakness, tingling in her toes, and lack of balance for years. It wasn't until her condition was bad enough to interrupt Netflix's Dead to Me from filming that she had to deal with it. In late 2021, production took a five-month hiatus while she started treatment and adapted to her new circumstances.
Her movement has excessively decreased since her diagnosis; Christina Applegate now needs a cane to walk, sometimes shows up on set in a wheelchair, and frequently has to stay in the hospital due to severe pain and gastrointestinal issues associated with multiple sclerosis.
In an interview with The New York Times in November 2022, the actress stated:
"This is the first time anyone's going to see me the way I am. I put on 40 pounds; I can't walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that."
She has also stated that she feels "trapped in the darkness" and occasionally finds it difficult to find joy in day-to-day living. She continues to promote MS awareness with her podcast, MeSsy, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, another MS supporter.
In an interview with Vanity Fair in May 2023, Christina Applegate stated:
"With the disease of MS, it's never a good day. You just have little sh*tty days. People are like, 'Well, why don't you take more showers?' Well, because getting in the shower is frightening. You can fall, you can slip, your legs can buckle. Especially because I have a glass shower. It's frightening to me to get in there."
In her podcast MeSsy in June 2024, the actress said:
"I don’t enjoy living. I don’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy things anymore."
After making her debut in a baby food commercial as an infant, Christina Applegate rose to stardom as Kelly Bundy on the popular sitcom Married... with Children (1987–1997). Her on-screen presence and comedic timing earned her roles in Bad Moms, Anchorman, and The Sweetest Thing.
She appeared in sitcoms such as Samantha Who? and Up All Night, and won Emmy Awards for her guest appearances, including on Friends. She most recently won praise from critics and was nominated for an Emmy and a SAG for her performance as Jen Harding in Netflix's Dead to Me.
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