Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, and other Hollywood celebrities who have Multiple Sclerosis

Strength tends to come from within, despite the uncertainty of residue, and Hollywood celebrities are flagbearers of rising like a phoenix and creating awareness through their platforms. Many celebrities like Selma Blair, Christina Applegate, Jack Osbourne, Clay Walker, and many more have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder. According to the National Institute of Health, multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy and protective cells that cover the nerve fibres, while the system should typically attack viruses and harmful bacteria. From documenting their experiences to enlightening the public about the diagnosis, celebrities used their platform for the better. Here’s a look at the 7 renowned personalities who have shared their difficulties of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of Multiple Sclerosis and personal experiences related to the disorder, which readers may find sensitive. The information shared is based on personal accounts or reported events and is for general awareness only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Christina Applegate, the acclaimed actress famously known for her role in ‘Friends’ as Rachel’s sister, shared her journey after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021. After being assessed a couple of years ago, the 54-year-old went through excruciating health issues, including breast cancer. “I lay in bed screaming — like, the sharp pains, the ache, that squeezing,” she said in an interview with Jamie Lynn Sigler in her ‘MeSsy’ podcast. Mentioning that keeping her feet on the ground came with an extraordinary pain just after a touch, the actress expressed, “I was like, yep. Gonna get back in my bed and pee in my diaper because I don't feel like walking all the way to the damn bathroom.”

Selma Blair, the ‘Legally Blonde’ actress, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 and has been actively documenting her journey on social media since. In a 2019 Instagram post, the star opened up about her pain, “There is a truth with neurodegenerative brain disease. It is uncomfortable. It is a stadium of uncontrollable anxiety at times.” Expressing her intense pain, she continued, “Going out, being sociable holds a heavy price. My brain is on fire. I am freezing. We feel alone with it, even though the loving support has been a godsend and appreciated.” In 2021, Blair revealed that she had been put on remission by Stem Cell during a TCA panel, revealing that it took nearly a year for the inflammation and lesions to reduce to a great extent.

Jack Osbourne, a British personality and the youngest child of the late Ozzy Osbourne, shared how he manages his multiple sclerosis after being diagnosed in 2012 on his podcast. When the listener asked a question about his treatment methods, the 40-year-old said that while he was not on any medication then, he had used alternative therapies in the past. “I had this procedure called disc seal,” he claimed, before adding that it is “not directly connected to MS, but it's kind of where [he] always lean[s] now with any treatment or medication,” as per People Magazine. However, Osbourne has not indulged in any pharmaceuticals, but is willing to if there is a need in the future.

Emma Caulfield, the actress known for her role in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ was diagnosed out of the blue after her acupuncturist thought she had Bell's Palsy. After MRI tests and health checkups with her neurologist, Caulfield received an urgent call at work. “I was kind of out of my body,” she stated, recalling the moment when she knew about her relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. “I’d just gotten this devastating news, and they’re like, ‘We’re ready for you on-set.’ So I sucked it up and put on a good face. It was surreal,” she further added in an interview with People Magazine.

Jamie Lynn-Sigler, the star known for her role in ‘The Sopranos,’ recently opened up about her condition after keeping it to herself for 15 years. While multiple sclerosis has affected her immune system, she lives life to the fullest. Despite struggling to walk or run for a long period of time, the ‘Gangster Land’ actress revealed that she can accomplish things, whether it’s about work or home, during an interview with People Magazine. “It’s a lot of gear, it’s long walks. It’s hot in Texas,” she said, before adding, “We got a big wagon that I can push, that I can lean on and throw all of the stuff in. It’s figuring it out with my husband and my support system: How do we do this?”

Teri Garr, the actress renowned for her role in ‘Friends’ as Phoebe’s biological mother, passed away in October 2024 at the age of 79. However, she had opened up about her multiple sclerosis in her 2006 memoir. While she had decided to keep it to herself, she eventually decided to draw light to the painful disorder. “MS is a sneaky disease,” she wrote, as per People, before adding, “Like some of my boyfriends, it has a tendency to show up at the most awkward times and then disappear entirely,” Garr mentioned that the rumors of her diagnosis reached the ears of Hollywood, leading to her career being affected. “Whatever this MS was, the industry wanted no part of it,” she wrote. The ‘Tootsie’ star retired from acting in 2011, but became a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and national chair for the Society's Women Against MS program.

Clay Walker, the famed American Country music artist, has been living with multiple sclerosis since he was diagnosed at the age of 26, right at the beginning of his career. “When I was diagnosed, I thought I had a tumor pressing on my brain or something; I couldn't see,” he said in an interview with Marty Smith’s The Road You Leave Behind. Explaining his initial gut-wrenching symptoms, the 54-year-old highlighted that he had double vision and a twitch in his face, and his fingers could not be touched together. After the doctors gave him a prognosis, Walker’s condition worsened. “I had so many lesions on my brain, spinal cord, and brain stem that my prognosis was that I would be in a wheelchair in a couple of years and dead in a couple more,” he recalled. However, he got better eventually and now shares a family with his wife, Jessica Walker.