Jamie-Lynn Sigler shares update on her MS battle a decade after revealing the diagnosis

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler has spoken openly about her multiple sclerosis for ten years now, but she kept the condition hidden for fifteen years before that. She worried that revealing her diagnosis would end her career in Hollywood.

At 44, actress Lorraine Bracco, known for her role in The Sopranos, now wishes she hadn’t tried so hard to hide her physical challenges. She used a mobility scooter due to difficulties walking and also dealt with incontinence and pain, but kept these issues secret from both the entertainment industry and the public.

Sigler was particularly touched by the incredible support she received from people within the multiple sclerosis community, as she shared in her Us Weekly interview.

I suddenly understood that I had cut myself off from a community, from people who truly understood me. And in that moment, I felt a sense of belonging – I wasn’t isolated anymore.

The award-winning actor shared that he feels more grounded and self-assured than ever before, even while navigating life with a disability.

Sigler used to feel like she was constantly pretending, and that her life felt fake, as she kept her autoimmune disease, which affects the central nervous system, a secret.

The actress, known for her role in ‘The Man in the Window,’ remembered landing what seemed like a dream role in a major pilot project. However, she said it was a stressful time because she was constantly worried about her lack of experience being discovered.

It was a strange relief when the call didn’t come – I actually felt grateful, like I was safe. My managers weren’t aware of what had happened at the time.

While filming her role as Meadow on the popular HBO series The Sopranos (1999-2007), Jamie-Lynn Sigler shared her private health struggles with her on-screen father, James Gandolfini. She described this as a turning point in her experience with the show.

‘I think he knew I couldn’t carry [the burden] alone anymore,’ the Grey’s Anatomy guest star said.

He’d occasionally check in on my multiple sclerosis, but only when we were alone at events like parties or charity functions—never at work or where others could hear. Knowing he was aware of my condition changed how I felt on set, it was a relief to have someone who knew what I was going through.

Sigler felt more accepting of her condition after receiving encouragement from her MeSsy podcast co-host, Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with MS in 2021. Applegate challenged her to move forward, giving her the push she needed.

‘We’re both teachers for each other,’ the Long Island native explained.

Honestly, Christina is my hero for just saying it – admitting that sometimes you just need diapers. It was like, a huge weight off my shoulders, because for so long it felt like the biggest secret ever, something you absolutely couldn’t let anyone know. There’s still this awful shame around it, but she just… put it out there, and it was amazing.

I truly believe it was fate that led me to my wonderful husband, Cutter Dykstra – he’s an advisor with Hotaling Insurance Services, and he became my main caregiver. We moved to Austin, Texas, back in 2021 and have been happily building our life here ever since.

The host of the Not Today, Pal podcast and his wife, a former minor league baseball player, have two sons: Beau, age 12, and Jack, age 8. They’ve been married for ten years.

Sigler explained they felt a need for a different environment. After moving, they occasionally began using a cane, feeling less self-conscious and more comfortable with their balance.

‘Here, it was like, “I’m just Beau and Jack’s mom at the baseball field.”‘

The former NYU student is releasing her 288-page memoir, And So It Is…, on May 5th. The book details her journey of acceptance and hope.

Author Sigler will begin her five-city book tour for ‘And So It Is’ on May 3rd at the Gold Coast Forum – Gold Coast Cinema at LIU in Greenvale, New York.

Last month, the Kesimpta brand ambassador announced she was thrilled to land a continuing, secret role in the third season of Shane Gillis’ Netflix comedy, Tires, which takes place in a Pennsylvania car repair shop.

On June 20th, Sigler will join Josh Radnor and Will Forte for a concert to raise money for pediatric cardiology research. The event, held at The Bowery Ballroom in Lower Manhattan, will feature music from How I Met Your Mother performed by the band The Solids.

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2026-04-22 20:49