Christina Applegate "back at square one" after being misdiagnosed with MS

Former actor Christina Applegate has said that she is "back at square one" after being misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, with the Anchorman star calling her current situation a "mindf**k".

The former actor, who has appeared in Samantha Who? and Dead to Me, announced in August 2021 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, at which point she stepped away from on-screen acting while she continued with some voice-acting roles.

She has since worked with several charities and health groups to raise awareness of the disease, and founded a podcast – titled MeSsy – alongside Jamie-Lynn Sigler in 2024, with the pair discussing their friendship and experiences with multiple sclerosis.

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Applegate had taken a break from the podcast for the past seven months due to her health battle, but returned during this week's two-parter as she shared a major update with her life.

"This may come as great news, but to me, I'm back at square one. It's hard to say that [my doctor] came into my room and she said, 'Congratulations, you don't have MS,'" shared Applegate, who said that she wasn't "happy at all" with the news.

"You don't get misdiagnosed and then all of the sudden [say] 'I'm better'. I haven't gotten better… If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways. So I'm back at square one, that I don't know what’s going on with me," she added.

Applegate explained that there was a "pretty damn high number" of misdiagnoses with multiple sclerosis, though she admitted to being confused as she presented "every symptom" associated with the disease.

She also shared that she was in a "state of shock" following the news, which she called a "mindf**k". She also said that she felt let the community down, though Sigler assured that she hadn't.

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"It's this weird feeling because I became this – you and I, the poster children for MS," she said. "I had a f**king reason as to why my day sucked every day. And now I don't have a reason and it's very unnerving and it's really confusing for me."

In the second part of the episode, a tearful Applegate added: "I get really emotional because it stopped my life… I'm still in this. Nothing magical happened when she said, 'You don't have MS.'"

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.