Christina Applegate Calls ‘Getting In The Shower’ A ‘Frightening’ Endeavor

Sep 27, 2023 by apost team

Christina Applegate has entertained the world for a long time, but her acting career may have ended sooner than she wanted it to. In 2021, Applegate was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The diagnosis came while she was shooting the final season of the dark comedy "Dead to Me" and proved to be a big blow to the actress. She took to social media to announce the result to her fans in August of the same year. 

"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," she wrote. "It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**h*l* blocks it."

The "Bad Moms" star disclosed that she ignored telling signs a few years prior. She recalled being clumsy while shooting a dance scene and observed that her tennis skills were not as good as before. However, the TV personality thought she only needed to work harder. 

That was not Applegate's first encounter with a medical condition. She had a double mastectomy in 2008 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The actress also removed her fallopian tubes and ovaries in 2017 to prevent a resurgence. 

Meanwhile, Applegate's announcement opened a platform for many to share their pain with her and comfort her. Actress Selma Blair, who has MS, has also remained supportive of Applegate since her diagnosis, and the duo often poke fun at themselves online. 

Nevertheless, the disease has taken its toll on Applegate, especially her body. In an interview with Vanity Fair in May 2023, the actress revealed that she is afraid of taking showers. Keep reading to learn more about Applegate’s health struggles.

Despite being dismayed with her MS diagnosis, Applegate was tough as she had always been when confronted with bad news. While she has always dealt with pain and trauma by throwing herself into her acting work, it was difficult to do that this time as the MS made it difficult for her to work. 

Although Applegate insisted on completing the last season of "Dead to Me," she did it with lots of assistance. The "Jesse" star first took five months off work for treatment and to digest the situation. She returned to using a wheelchair but completed shooting. Some scenes included her opening doors so she could lean on them and a crew member holding her legs up away from the cameras so they wouldn't give way. 

Speaking of the crew, Applegate said: "They were incredible."

During Variety's 2023 TV FYC Fest award in June 2023, she disclosed that "Dead to Me" may be her last work as an actress. 

"Thank you so much for being supportive and understanding as I journey through this new part of my life, not knowing if I'm going to continue to act anymore," Applegate said at the event. "I don't know if I can. I'd love to; I do miss it. I miss it so much."

Despite Applegate's inability to act like she used to, she is not leaving the entertainment scene any time soon. The actress revealed she is considering venturing into other areas, including production. She noted that she would be "doing a s*** ton of voice-overs to make some cash to make sure that my daughter’s fed and we’re homed."

apost.com

MS seemingly hasn’t affected Applegate's ability to laugh and make jokes, but it initially affected her mind after taking a toll on her body. She told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published on Feb. 7, 2023, that she found it difficult to watch “Dead to Me” Season 3. Applegate told the outlet: 

"I don’t like seeing myself struggling. "Also, I gained 40 pounds because of inactivity and medications, and I didn’t look like myself, and I didn’t feel like myself."

Applegate also revealed that when she started watching the third season of “Dead to Me,” she watched it alone and sometimes stopped when it was too painful to go on. However, she continued after a mental address to herself. 

"At some point I was able to distance myself from my own ego, and realize what a beautiful piece of television it was," Applegate recalled. "All the scenes I wasn’t in were so much fun to see and experience for the very first time."

Meanwhile, the 51-year-old thought co-star Linda Cardellini and show creator Liz Feldman to be wonderful gifts. She gushed over Cardellini:

"I cry when I talk about Linda because I love her so much," she said. "The next person who gets to work with her, I hope they realize how incredibly lucky they are."

Applegate spoke of Feldman in glowing terms, noting that the top executive producer is:

"Jen and Judy (the two lead characters in 'Dead to Me') combined into a human, in the most perfect and beautiful way possible."

For Applegate, “Dead to Me” was perfect for her retirement if she never got to act again. It was, however, poignant because the 2023 SAG Awards may have been her last as an actress. 

She revealed, at the time, that she was looking forward to the awards. "It’s my last awards show as an actor probably, so it’s kind of a big deal," she shared. 

In May 2023, the “Married… with Children” actress spoke with Vanity Fair about the potential future of her disease. “This is a progressive disease. I don’t know if I’m going to get worse,” Applegate revealed.

She also disclosed a fear that arose following her MS diagnosis. Applegate explained:

“With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day. You just have little sh***y days. People are like, ‘Well, why don’t you take more showers?’ Well, because getting in the shower is frightening. You can fall, you can slip, your legs can buckle. Especially because I have a glass shower. It’s frightening to me to get in there.”

Applegate talked more about the things she “took for granted,” like going down the stairs and carrying things. “I can still drive my car short distances,” she affirmed. “I can bring up food to my kid. Up, never down.” She also uses a cane and wheelchair for assistance.

The actress said that people have offered suggestions that could help her potentially feel better, but she admitted to indulging in self-pity at times. "I'd rather just lie here and cry or do whatever I need to do right now to process this," she explained.

However, after she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she spoke with Variety in a seemingly optimistic tone:

“Now my life is a different story. People are going to see me for the first time as a disabled person, and it’s very difficult. So, for me, two years ago would have been so much better! But maybe this time it’s more poignant. I don’t know.”

What do you think of Christina Applegate's strength? Does she inspire you? Let us know — and be sure to pass this along to friends, family members and fellow Christina Applegate fans!