Christina Applegate Reveals She 'Put On 40 LBs' & Can't Walk Without A Cane After MS Diagnosis

Christina Applegate is opening up about how her multiple sclerosis diagnosis has affected her over one year later.

If you don’t remember, the Anchorman actress revealed her diagnosis in a tweet in August of 2021, explaining at the time:

“Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**hole blocks it.”

See her full tweet (below):

Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it.

— christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021

She later added:

“As one of my friends that has MS said ‘we wake up and take the indicated action.’ And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo”

As one of my friends that has MS said “ we wake up and take the indicated action”. And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo

— christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021

Ever since then, word has been pretty quiet on the Christina front. However, ahead of the final season of her Netflix dramedy Dead to Me, the star is ready to re-enter the spotlight. In a Tuesday interview with the New York Times, the 50-year-old revealed some details about her diagnosis, the signs leading up to it, and what has come of it. She recalled a time during the filming of season one where she felt off balance and tingly, noting:

“I wish I had paid attention. But who was I to know?”

After she received her diagnosis, she explained production on the show shut down, adding:

“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better.’ And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”

She continued:

“Although it’s not like I came on the other side of it, like, ‘Woohoo, I’m totally fine. Acceptance? No. I’m never going to accept this. I’m pissed.”

The comedian then noted the Dead to Me creators wanted to cut the third season short, without fully seeing it through, but the Married… With Children alum had other plans. Christina explained:

“The powers that be were like, ‘Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together.’ I said, ‘No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms.’”

Related: Tim Roth’s Son Dead At 25

What an inspiring amount of determination in the face of such adversity! As for how things changed on set for her, she noted she had to work less hours, stay out of the heat, let a wheelchair take her around set, and some scenes had to be rewritten to accommodate her reduced physical mobility. However, she revealed that shockingly enough, the third season is in large part about illness, which she confessed was hard to film at times, considering her circumstances:

“When Linda [Cardellini] and I would do those scenes, it crushed us sometimes.”

Still, Christina persevered and finished the show’s season, keeping her word. As for it’s November 17 release, she explained:

“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.”

It was only days ago that the Hollywood vet revealed she would be making her first public appearance in over a year, sharing on Twitter:

I have a very important ceremony coming up. This will be my first time out since diagnosed with MS. Walking sticks are now part of my new normal. Thank you @neowalksticks for these beauties. Stay tuned to see which ones make the cut for a week of stuff. pic.twitter.com/O543p1G4vS

— christina applegate (@1capplegate) October 27, 2022

Then on Tuesday night, the actress shared a peek from her Halloween festivities, posting:

You don’t know sexy until you are sexy. Happy Halloween! pic.twitter.com/AS8qGVgzUQ

— christina applegate (@1capplegate) November 1, 2022

You’re as sexy as ever, Christina, and we can’t wait to see you in the final season of the Netflix hit! Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Watch the final season trailer (below).