Actress Selma Blair has opened up about living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how her own journey with the disease helped guide her friend and fellow actress Christina Applegate toward an earlier diagnosis.
Blair, who revealed her MS diagnosis in 2018 according to Vanity Fair, appeared as one of the cover stars for British Vogue, themed “Reframing Fashion: Dynamic, Daring & Disabled.” Posing with her “emotional support” cane, the actress reflected on decades of unexplained health struggles before finally receiving the life-altering diagnosis.
“When I was diagnosed, it was like a floodgate opened,” Blair told the magazine, explaining that she had lived with symptoms for more than 40 years before answers finally came.
During that time, Blair’s experience became a crucial lifeline for her longtime friend and The Sweetest Thing co-star, Christina Applegate. The actress recalled urging Applegate to see a doctor after she noticed unusual symptoms.
Applegate told British Vogue about their pivotal conversation: “I was sitting in Selma’s living room, our children playing, and I told Selma I’d been having this weird tingling in my feet. She said, ‘You must get tested for MS.’ [Even my doctor doubted it] but there it was. In essence, because of her, I’m going to have a better quality of life.”
Applegate went on to receive her MS diagnosis in August 2021, more than two years after Blair’s, according to Today.
Medical experts note that tingling is among the most common early symptoms of MS, though it can often be overlooked.
“It doesn’t always seem severe at first, but as the disease progresses, more symptoms emerge,” explained Dr. Leah Croll, a neurologist at Temple University, during an interview with Good Morning America.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that nearly 1 million Americans live with MS, a condition that disrupts communication between the brain and body.
Symptoms can range from pain and numbness to muscle weakness, coordination issues, and balance difficulties.
Though there is no cure, treatments known as “disease-modifying therapies” can slow progression. “If you catch it earlier and start treatment, the disease course may be less severe moving forward,” Dr. Croll added.
Selma Blair and Christina Applegate continue MS advocacyBoth Blair and Applegate have become outspoken advocates for the MS community, using their platforms to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
Blair reinforced the importance of visibility: “If I can help remove stigma or over-curiosity in a crowd for someone else, then that’s great.”
Together, the two actresses highlight not only the challenges of living with multiple sclerosis but also the life-changing impact of early detection and shared advocacy.