Christina Applegate shares her struggles with MS during filming ‘Dead To Me’

Christina Applegate shared her perspective on being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in an interview with The New York Times.

The actress was diagnosed in August 2021, while she was filming the third season of her Netflix dramedy Dead to Me, and the show halted production so that she could begin treatment.

“There was the sense of, 'Well, let's get her some medicine so she can get better,'" Applegate said, regarding her initial diagnosis. "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."

"It's not like I came on the other side of it, like, 'Woohoo, I'm totally fine,'" she told the Times. "Acceptance? No. I'm never going to accept this. I'm pissed."

Applegate shared that she was aware of her appearance has changed since her diagnosis and it will be evident in her upcoming project.

"This is the first time anyone's going to see me the way I am," she said. "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."

The Dead To Me actress also credited her cast and crew for helping her adapt throughout filming the show. She gave a special mention to her co-star Linda Cardellini, whom she calls a "mama bear", helped make the transition easier.

"I just had the immediate feeling that we were going to have each other's backs," Cardellini said about first meeting Applegate. "Jen and Judy support each other, love each other, help each other through things. Linda and Christina, the same thing."

Despite this, Applegate said she's unsure whether fans will accept her in the new "role."

"If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, 'Ooh, look at the cripple,' that's not up to me," she said. "I'm sure that people are going to be, like, 'I can't get past it.'"

She continued, "Fine, don't get past it, then. But hopefully, people can get past it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls."