Christina Applegate Reveals How She Copes With MS

The actress found the strength to carry on her day-to-day life despite her critical medical diagnosis and has reality TV to thank for it.

Christina Applegate disclosed her battle with multiple sclerosis to the world in August 2021 and has remained open about her condition since then.

The 52-year-old appeared on James Corden’s “This Life of Mine” show on SiriusXM, and things got very personal, including living with her MS condition.

The star was asked if music was her coping mechanism, to which she answered in the negative but went on to share her actual knight in shining armor.

“No, i find reality television very useful. Yeah, that’s kind of it for me,” responded the actress to Corden’s surprise, who queried, “That’s it?” the actress reiterated, “Yes, that’s it!”

Applegate added that her close circle knows her TV is tuned to a reality show as she barely leaves her bed. She explained:

“I know that that sounds really depressing but it’s kind of, like, I just need to sleep sometimes. Yeah, reality TV. Everything. Give me any of it.“ 

The star has a fine selection of her favorite reality shows. “Give me a Vanderpump. Give me a Below Deck. Give me a Housewife,” she said before adding, “Even give me Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. I’ll watch like nine seasons of that in like two days.”

Like most people, Applegate loves “watching the imperfections of real people” on the TV screen and can not help but wonder if “those people exist,” but she loves it. “That’s why I love reality TV. Because they freak me out that they walk this Earth acting like that,” she concluded.

ET noted that a certain cast member on one of her favorite shows, “Below Deck.” shared a similar admiration for the star and even extended an arm of friendship to her.

Applegate got the surprise of her life when she appeared on a December 2022 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” with a special message from Captain Lee Rosbach.

“I just want to say thank you for being such a big fan. and I want to encourage you to stay strong and remember that a good sailor never learned a damn thing in calm seas,” acknowledged Rosbach in the message.

He continued that he believes in Rosbach’s sailing abilities and encouraged the star to reach out if she wants to set sail again, adding: “cause we have a deck chair with your name written all over it.”

When the star is not watching endless minutes of reality TV, she is drafting an expansive bucket list. Applegate shared the contents of that list on X and some famous names made the cut.

“There are things I want to do with the days I have left in life. I want to work with Shirley MacLaine   Anddo shots with cher! And yes my days are so big. Just saying,” she admitted.

Her fans quickly tapped into her big dreams and offered her the warmest reassurance. One well-wisher wrote, “I wish you fulfillment of all your remaining dreams. You’re the best!”

This user wished the star “all the joy in the world,” adding, “You’ve given us so much, and here’s to you, Cheers!” A fan encouraged the Emmy Award-winning actress as she pursued her aspirations, writing, “I love this! Go after it girl!”

Applegate has had to sacrifice her acting career in light of her MS diagnosis, but it does not mean the work will stop.

The actress revealed her plans to explore a new path that will see her “doing a sh-t ton of voice-overs to make some cash” and secure a stable future for her only child, Sadie.

The actress’s downtime from acting comes with adopting newer hobbies, which include binge-watching shows she has never seen before and, of course, reality TV!

However, her own Netflix comedy show did not initially catch her attention as it felt awkward to watch herself struggle on screen. The actress disclosed that she gained 40 pounds due to medication and inactivity, and she did not look or feel like herself.

Applegate eventually gathered the nerve to see the show, distanced herself from her ego, and “realized what a beautiful television it was.” She further admitted that all the scenes she was absent from “were so much fun to see and experience for the first time.”

The mother-of-one survived 2022 by navigating through her MS symptoms with humor and laughter.

The Blast noted that Applegate revealed this when Clarkson asked if she was naturally optimistic when dealing with sickness or fighting something. Clarkson admitted to fighting her worries with very dark humor, and her 62-year-old guest agreed with her.

The actress then shared that her humor shield keeps her okay and said, “Um, but of course down on the insides, you feel things.”Applegate added that she chose the funny route to deflect and “make people not be scared to be around me.”

Christina Applegate is beautifully maneuvering her health issues and career switch!