Christina Applegate is opening up about how multiple sclerosis has reshaped her daily life, including her role as a mother.
The 54-year-old actress is currently promoting her upcoming memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, and has spoken candidly about how her diagnosis has affected her ability to parent her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, whom she shares with her husband, Martyn LeNoble.
Christina Applegate Says Multiple Sclerosis Has Changed Her Parenting
Christina Applegate said her multiple sclerosis has largely confined her to her bedroom and altered the way she parents her teenage daughter. In an interview with People magazine, Applegate described how even simple routines now require significant effort.
“I want to take her [to school and activities]; it’s my favorite thing to do,” Applegate told People. “It’s the only time we have together by ourselves. I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”
Applegate has also spoken about embracing honesty in this stage of her life. “My life isn’t wrapped up with a bow,” she said. “People’s lives, sorry for lack of a better term, f—ing suck sometimes. So I’m being as honest and raw as I possibly can.”
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Applegate explained why she allowed Sadie to read through some of her old journals. She said she wanted her daughter to understand that she recognizes what it feels like to struggle.
“I let her go through that one because I was like, you’re not unique in the sense of like — just understand that your mom understands it, right?” Applegate said. “You know that like you’re hurting, and I’m sorry, I’m going to say… s— happens, and it’s awful.”
She added, “I needed her to like see that her mom understood that it hurts.”
In discussing her memoir, Applegate shared that it contains difficult moments from her life. “I went through a lot of stuff in my life,” she said. “And in this book, there is some bad stuff that happened to me. And I really do want all of us to kind of come together and go, we have each other.”
Applegate has also addressed the impact of her health struggles during an August episode of her MeSsy podcast with co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Reflecting on the changes her daughter has witnessed, she said, “In my situation, Sadie only knew me as healthy, and a runner, and a Pelotoner and a dancer, and she only knew that.”
She explained that her 2021 diagnosis came after a period already marked by COVID-related disruptions. “And now, I see her look at me when I’m in bed and can’t quite move, or I want to go say goodnight to her in her room, but I can’t quite get down the hallway for whatever reason that my legs aren’t working that day,” Applegate said. “Right now I can barely get to bathroom, it’s the worst, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s broken her.”
Applegate said she believes the emotional toll on her daughter has grown over time. “She didn’t know this. It was like losing the mom she had to this f—ing thing. And the more she’s gotten older now, I think the more it’s hurting her,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Applegate also described moments of support from her daughter. When they are out in public, she said Sadie is attentive to her anxiety and physical limitations. “She’s always got my arm,” Applegate shared.
