Selma Blair Shares How She and Christina Applegate Are Each Other’s Pillars of Support As They Both Battle MS

Selma Blair and Christina Applegate have been close ever since they co-starred in the 2002 film The Sweetest Thing. Over the decades they went on to further their career and become prominent stars in Hollywood in their own right. Tragedy struck both their lives in recent years when they learned they were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Blair in 2018, and Applegate three years later in 2021. Despite the initial shock, the two actors have been helping each other through it.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system which in turn can affect the quality of one's life. While there is no cure for the disease, the symptoms can be managed and people can adapt to new lifestyles after diagnosis. The symptoms include fatigue, numbness and tingling, blurred vision, double vision, weakness, poor coordination, imbalance, pain, depression, and problems with memory and concentration. Less commonly MS may cause tremors, paralysis, and blindness according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

50-year-old Blair recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight sharing, "Oh gosh, I've known Christina for so many years, we're really close, and I'm just a fan of hers," Blair said of her The Sweetest Thing co-star who recently joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "She is an iconic California girl actress of my generation, and she is it. There has not been one thing that she's done that I haven't been like, 'Nailed it,' and she's nailing just being who she is with this MS. She was funny and definitely like her performance was amazing," she added of Applegate's Walk of Fame speech, "but to be there. I just wanna witness the greats in my friends' lives, like just quietly back there, and so to know that I was there for something that we dream about when we're little." 

The Dead to Me actress has been a strong pillar of support for Blair amid her own struggle with the disorder. "Christina still supports me. She's just a strong one," Blair said. "She really is. She's such a nurturer. If you need something she's at your house. There have been things that I had been unglued, and she's like, 'I'm outside. Answer the door.' She's just amazing and strong and fun." Blair also pitches in any time she can help and supports her right back. " I'm more like, 'OK, if you need help with canes,' and that stuff, 'cause I'm like, really into all of that, like all the things that help me get around, but she's getting it locked down," she continued. "She has a lot on her plate. It's a lot, but she's as brilliant and beautiful as ever."

This isn't the first time Applegate has faced a health scare. Back in 2008, the mom-of-one had a breast cancer diagnosis followed by a double mastectomy. She also struggled with early menopause and insomnia. A few years ago, Applegate told PEOPLE that she felt it was important to her to be open to her fans about her health. "If you do have a voice to do it, which we [as actors] are fortunate to have this platform to be like, 'I am just like you, I can't sleep, I feel like crap a lot of the time because of this, but I want you to feel okay with it and not feel shame about it and get information about it so that you can have a better quality of life.' And same goes for my battle with cancer."

References:

https://people.com/health/christina-applegate-reveals-multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis/ 

https://www.etonline.com/selma-blair-details-her-powerful-bond-with-christina-applegate-amid-ms-battles-exclusive-194877

https://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/MS-FAQ-s

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Sebastian Artz