Selma Blair is getting real about some of the challenges that she faces while traveling with multiple sclerosis.
During the World’s Best Summit held across several days last week in New York City, the actress sat down for a panel discussion with Travel + Leisure editor-in-chief Jacqui Gifford to talk about airplanes, airports, and hotels — while living with MS.
Of course, Blair is valiantly battling the disease. The 53-year-old has struggled mightily with the ordeal in the past, too. But lately, she’s been making her way through it with high spirits. And she used the summit to joke about it some more! Well, a little bit.
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While speaking to Gifford, Blair explained that an added issue she deals with as part of this disease is called dystonia, which leaves many people thinking she is “difficult or drunk” when they speak to her:
“I have dystonia, which is often misunderstood as difficult or drunk.”
And then Selma quickly added this joke, which made the entire audience erupt in laughter:
“Which I could be.”
Us, too, girl! Ha!
FYI, dystonia is a movement-related disorder that causes involuntary muscle spasms. People who have it suffer from twitchy and repetitive movements — which can sometimes even be painful. Oh, no! But at least she can joke about it to lighten the mood a bit, we suppose!
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Regardless, Blair did get serious after that. She noted how MS and its associated muscle spasticity and dystonia have made her very aware of travel-related stress and fatigue:
“When I actually have to hone in, I can get a little bit of spasticity and my dystonia kicks in — so I was always kind of nervous to travel even though it was the biggest light in my life.”
Blair, who was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder back in 2018 before going into remission in 2021, also said that her body tends to get more agitated when she is stressed. AKA, when she’s had a looong day traveling! Selma explained:
“MS is totally strange. We’re not making it up, usually, I mean, unless it’s a really bad dinner. I go under scaffolding and all of a sudden it sounds like I have cerebral palsy — so the airport is stressful.”
So, the solution is to travel light. Very light. Very, very light! Selma said she typically only brings along a single suitcase and her service dog, Scout (pictured in the inset, above), whom she got in 2022 after a neurologist recommended it.
And she also revealed that she sometimes abruptly loses her vision and passes out in the airport, too, due to the stress that can crop up at unexpected moments. Wow.
The biggest issue there is that things can change really fast from one moment to the next. In turn, airport employees can often completely misunderstand what she’s going through! Oh, no! Selma revealed:
“There can be a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of crying at airports, even if things go well. People will say, ‘I saw you walk up to this gate and now you’re acting like you can’t talk.’ It’s like, ‘No, this isn’t manipulation.’ And then as soon as I talk, they ask me, ‘Do we need the police?’”
Ugh!
Such a challenging ordeal. Seriously, even though she is in good spirits, we can’t help but feel for her and anyone facing this difficult diagnosis. Sending all the love and light in the world!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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