Christina Applegate has addressed the comments about her "not enjoying life" after fans expressed their concern for the star.
Applegate, best known for her role as Jen Harding in Netflix's hit show Dead To Me, opened up about her diagnosis back in 2021, shocking the world when she told them she was battling the degenerative condition, multiple sclerosis (MS).
MS is a condition that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves and those with the disease can experience a wide range of symptoms including extreme fatigue, depression, mobility issues, and sexual dysfunction.
Throughout her journey, the 52-year-old has been open with her symptoms as well as her mental health, however, one interview she did on her and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s MeSsy podcast caused fans to worry about her condition.
In the episode, she confirmed that she was now battling "depression" alongside MS.
"I’m in a depression right now, which I don’t think I’ve felt that for years," she said. "Like a real, f**k-it-all depression where it’s kind of scaring me, too, a little bit because it feels really fatalistic.
"I’m trapped in, like, this darkness right now that I haven’t felt [in], like, I don’t even know how long, probably 20-something years," she added.
After the interview, it was obvious that fans started to worry about the actress' mental health, but now, it seems as though she's addressed the comments to provide more clarification for them.
In a new episode of her podcast that premiered June 18, she said that she was "disturbed" by the reaction to the interview.
"I'm good. Does that take a little bit of the pressure off of all of you? That's I'm good. Let's address it. We are going to address it," she said. "It's a moment. It's a thought. It's a feeling. I was talking about some dark stuff I was thinking and feeling."
She also delved into why she viewed X (formerly Twitter) as a "safe space" for her to be open and raw about her health battles.
"...I feel that when we hold things in, we give them power [to open up]," she continued. “I also think that there's so much shame that a lot of people feel when they're going through mental health issues, and they call them issues. I hate that."
Applegate revealed that after her previous comments, she “started getting text messages from people” concerned about her wellbeing and wanted to clarify that “I have beautiful people around me and beautiful support systems” and pushed back on others "making such a big deal about it [because] you're making other people think, oh, s***, I can't talk about this."
She stressed the importance of being able to be honest and vulnerable with your feelings, especially during dark times.
“I think it's important to be able to say these things,” she explained. “I dare anyone to be diagnosed with MS or any kind of chronic illness that has taken who you were prior to that moment and go, this is great. You know? No.
“You have moments of feeling like this is tiring and I don't wanna do this. But you do it, and by having friends like you and my beautiful friends that I have, by saying this s*** out loud, it releases the pressure in the balloon, man," she added.
If you or anybody you know is struggling with mental health, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Speaking to somebody will always help.
