Christina Applegate says she has 30 lesions on her brain amid MS battle: ‘Worst thing that’s happened to me’

Christina Applegate isn’t sugarcoating her experience with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The actress, who revealed her battle with the disease in 2021, bluntly described her unpleasant diagnosis as the “worst thing that’s happened” in her “entire life” during her appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast Monday.

“I have 30 lesions on my brain,” she explained. “My biggest one is behind my right eye, so my right eye hurts a lot.”

Christina Applegate called MS the “worst thing that’s happened” in her “entire life” during her appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast Monday. WireImage She also revealed she has 30 lesions on her brain. Getty Images for Critics Choice Association “My biggest one is behind my right eye, so my right eye hurts a lot,” the star added. Getty Images

She said that while her vision has not been affected, MS has taken a toll on her mobility. “My hand starts to go weird and then I’ll get a seizure-y feeling sometimes in my brain,” she detailed.

MS is a disease of the nervous system in which the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering around the nerves, which affects the brain’s communication with the rest of the body, per the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Later in the podcast, Applegate, 52, described herself as the “worst MSer” who will go back to bed instead of stretching her muscles when she’s having a bad day with pain. She also described MS as a “mean girl” who will “push back” if she physically exerts herself too much.

Applegate revealed her MS diagnosis in 2021. FilmMagic She has been open about struggling through daily life due to the pain she feels because of her MS. Getty Images

“It sucks,” the “Anchorman” actress added. “I hate it so much. I’m so mad about it. You can’t overcome it.”

She also explained that she prefers to speak truthfully about her MS journey because she did not do so when she battled breast cancer. “Everything I was saying was a freaking lie,” she admitted.

“It was me trying to convince myself of something, and I think that did no service to anyone.”

In January of this year, the “Dead to Me” star revealed she urinates in her pants because she can’t get to a bathroom quickly enough. Getty Images for Critics Choice Association She has worn diapers for years. AFP via Getty Images

Applegate underwent a double mastectomy in 2008, which removed her breast cancer. In 2017, she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure against ovarian cancer, from which her cousin died.

Earlier this month, she opened up more about her daily life with MS during a chat with People. “Well, you pee … in your pants,” she candidly stated. “Because you probably can’t get to the bathroom in time. So yeah, diapers.”

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On the bright side, she said she enjoys getting to park in handicapped spots and getting to board planes early when traveling.

Applegate explained on the “Armchair Expert” podcast that being truthful about her life is important to her because she sugarcoated her experience with breast cancer. Getty Images She reasoned, “It was me trying to convince myself of something, and I think that did no service to anyone.” Getty Images

In January, she made a surprise appearance at the Emmys and joked about her condition by calling out the audience for “totally shaming” her when they gave her a standing ovation. She also strolled onto the stage with attitude by using a cane that read, “FU MS.”

Applegate, who was nominated at the 2024 Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in “Dead to Me,” had previously claimed the 2023 SAG Awards would be her “last awards show as an actor.”

It’s unclear if she will make her way onto another awards show stage, but if there’s one thing fans can expect from Applegate, it’s that she will always keep it real about her diagnosis and use humor to cope.

Applegate beat breast cancer in 2008. Getty Images for Backstage Creations She had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2017 as a preventive measure against ovarian cancer. Getty Images

“My humor shield keeps me OK, but of course, down on the insides, you feel the things and I do it to kind of deflect and then also make people not be scared to be around me,” the star explained during a 2022 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

“You know, when people see me now as a disabled person, I want them to feel comfortable,” she added.

“That we can laugh about it.”