Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS. Her symptoms have not gone away
The actor told listeners to her MeSsy podcast that a doctor said she does not have multiple sclerosis, leaving her without an explanation for symptoms she says continue.
Christina Applegate said on her MeSsy podcast that a doctor told her she does not have multiple sclerosis, reversing a diagnosis she made public in 2021. In the two-part episode discussed in reports dated October 20, 2026, the actor said her symptoms continue and she still does not know what is causing them.
‘This may come as great news, but to me, I’m back at square one,’ Applegate said, according to Variety. She recalled the doctor telling her, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS.’ Applegate said she was not happy to hear it: the change in diagnosis had not made her feel better.
Why Christina Applegate says the news is confusing
Applegate said that some of her symptoms have grown worse. ‘You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of the sudden I’m better,’ she said, according to Variety. She added that she still uses a wheelchair to get from her car to a doctor’s office because she cannot walk that distance. The reported change in diagnosis has left her looking for an explanation for the difficulties she continues to experience.
She also spoke about the effect of the past five years on her life and work. ‘I lost everything. I lost my job … It stopped my life,’ she said during the podcast, according to Variety. She described feeling confused by the doctor’s news after years of understanding her health through the MS diagnosis.
What changed after her 2021 diagnosis
Applegate publicly disclosed her MS diagnosis in 2021. She later spoke about its effect on her daily life, including in a 2023 Good Morning America report. Variety reported that she retired from acting after the 2022 finale of Dead to Me. Her account on MeSsy changes the diagnosis she had previously shared publicly; it does not change her account of the symptoms she has lived with.
The two-part MeSsy appearance followed a seven-month break from the podcast, Variety reported. Applegate told listeners she had stepped away to process the news while dealing with health issues, according to Page Six. Page Six also reported that Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, joined the episodes to discuss how MS misdiagnoses can happen.
The disclosure comes after a difficult period for Applegate’s health. Variety reported in August that she had returned home after a months-long hospitalization. In September, the outlet reported that she shared a video following that stay. On the podcast, Applegate said she remains without an answer for her continuing symptoms.
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Sources and context
- Christina Applegate Reveals She Was Misdiagnosed With MS: ‘I’m Back at Square One’ and It’s a ‘Mindf—’Variety
- Christina Applegate reveals MS misdiagnosis in shocking health update: ‘I lost everything’Page Six
- Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MSABC News
- Christina Applegate shares how MS has affected her life: 'It’s never a good day'Good Morning America
- Christina Applegate Shares First Video Following Months-Long Hospitalization: ‘Love to You All Out There’Variety
- Christina Applegate Returns Home After Months-Long Hospitalization and ‘All Is Well’Variety
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.