‘Sometimes the weight bothered me more than the disease’: Christina Applegate, 54, details her battle with MS and body dysmorphia and says she ‘didn’t look in the mirror for a year’

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Christina Applegate has spoken openly about her struggles with multiple sclerosis and body dysmorphia, sharing that at times, she was more upset about her weight than about the disease itself.

The 54-year-old actress revealed she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021. She also shared that she used to be very thin – a size zero – but still wasn’t happy with how she looked.

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

She described a turning point in 2000 when she started adding cheese to her salads, which significantly improved her overall relationship with food.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she underwent 15 hours of steroid treatments, which caused her to gain 40 pounds. She described the experience as feeling like everything had turned into a shapeless mass.

Two years later, at her Hollywood star ceremony, Christina admitted she barely recognized herself, explaining it was due to her illness and the effects of the medication she was taking.

Even though I was thrilled to finally achieve my goal, it was incredibly embarrassing and painful to be perceived in that light. It wasn’t just about my size, but more about losing the sense of control I’d always had over my own life.

The thought of those pictures of me makes me feel sick. I look so unhappy and ashamed, because I just keep imagining everyone staring. It used to be that people stared at my chest, but now I realize they’re staring because of my disability, and because I’m considered overweight – something women in Hollywood are never supposed to be.

The side effects of the treatment often felt worse than the illness itself. I avoided looking at myself in the mirror for a long time. When I had stomach problems, I went on a liquid diet, and the weight quickly started to come off. I lost over fifty pounds in about seven months, and now my legs are much thinner than they used to be.

Over the years, Applegate has been open about her health challenges, including a battle with early-stage breast cancer. In 2008, she had a double mastectomy as part of her treatment.

In 2017, actress Applegate learned she carried a gene mutation called BRCA1, which significantly increases the risk of cancer. As a result, she chose to have a preventative surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Christina is sick and has to be careful about what she eats. Certain foods give her bad stomach problems that could even require a hospital stay.

She now feels much better about her relationship with food and is in a healthier place overall.

She worries her legs appear thin and lack muscle, leaving her bones vulnerable to injury if she falls.

However, she admits she still sometimes worries about being too thin and occasionally feels self-conscious about her legs, despite feeling they’ve always been a positive feature.

She concludes, ‘this is the sickness. But she’s not going to win.’ 

Christina Applegate became well-known at age 15 when she played Kelly Bundy, the rebellious daughter on the popular Fox sitcom Married with Children, which aired from 1987 to 1997.

She gained significant praise for playing Veronica Corningstone in the popular 2004 comedy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and its sequel, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie.

She won an Emmy Award for her appearance on the TV show Friends and has been nominated for four Golden Globes and one Tony Award.

Christina Applegate’s memoir, titled ‘You With the Sad Eyes,’ will be released on Tuesday.

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2026-03-02 13:53