Christina Applegate may be most well-known for her roles in Married… with Children, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and the Netflix series Dead to Me.
However, Applegate is also becoming bolder in showing that she lives with multiple sclerosis (MS) — and wants to send the message that she’s not going to let it dampen her glow.
Applegate showed up to the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Sunday with an eye-catching walking cane that read “FU MS.” The statement drew support from fans, who took to Twitter to express their thoughts.
The 51-year-old actress was nominated this year for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy series, for her role in Dead to Me.
Applegate was originally diagnosed with MS in 2021, after she began experiencing leg pain and tremors during shooting for Dead to Me’s last season. However, she didn’t make a public appearance since her diagnosis until November 2022, when she attended the ceremony to receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She made news at the event when she chose to walk down the red carpet barefoot — and with a walking cane. She noted in a tweet afterwards that she chose to go barefoot because “for some with MS the feeling of shoes may hurt or make us feel off balance. So today I was me. Barefoot.”
About one million people in the U.S. are living with MS, according to the National MS Society. While the causes of MS are often uncertain, they can be triggered by autoimmune disorders, infectious viruses, genetics or environmental factors, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Symptoms may include muscle weakness in arms or legs, blurred vision, numbness or prickling in limbs, or fatigue.
Currently, there are a variety of MS drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including injectable, oral and infusion therapies.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month, Applegate noted that the 2023 SAG Awards show would probably be her last as an actor — “so it’s kind of a big deal,” she said.
“Right now, I couldn’t imagine getting up at 5 a.m. and spending 12 to 14 hours on a set; I don’t have that in me at this moment,” she added.
