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Christina Applegate addressed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis with her usual humor on Wednesday's The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Applegate learned about her medical condition while filming the third and final season of the popular Netflix dark comedy series, Dead to Me, in which she co-stars with Linda Cardellini.
Looking back on the moment she received "that call" from her doctor, Applegate quipped:
"Can I say it sucked balls?"
Not having a personal experience with having MS, Clarkson asked the actress at the start of the remote interview what it was like to be working on the show while being cognizant of her health decline.
Applegate explained:
"There's four different kinds of MS so not everyone is the same. Everyone's symptoms are different, everyone's experience with it is different."
She continued discussing how filming the show about two grieving women striking an unusual friendship through therapy was an extreme challenge for her.
You can see a video of the interview here.
Christina Applegate's Hilariously Candid Reaction To MS Diagnosis: 'Can I Say This...'youtu.be
The former Married With Children actress said:
"Shooting the show was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life because I was diagnosed during shooting. I didn't know what was happening to me."
"I couldn't walk. They had to use a wheelchair to get me to set."
"I was freaking out until someone was like 'You need an MRI.' And then, I found out on a Monday after work that I had MS, you know, a disease that I am going to have for the rest of my life."
\u201c"I'm just stating facts!" \ud83d\udc4f @1capplegate @kellyclarkson\u201d— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@The Kelly Clarkson Show) 1670531460
Applegate said she thought about the last four years and realized she had "very small symptoms."
She emphasized how everyone shouldn't become hypochondriacs and run to the doctor every time their leg gets weak, but she did notice how she was frequently tired on set and confirmed her symptoms "presented itself a few years ago."
\u201c@KellyClarksonTV @1capplegate She has such a way with words \ud83e\udef6\u201d— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@The Kelly Clarkson Show) 1670515260
\u201c@KellyClarksonTV @1capplegate @kellyclarkson Love this woman @1capplegate \ud83e\udd79\u201d— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@The Kelly Clarkson Show) 1670531460
\u201cBoth of these women are role models for me in my life for different reasons. I absolutely loved today\u2019s show! Wishing you both the best! \ud83d\udc9b #rolemodels #empoweringwomen @kellyclarkson @1capplegate\u201d— lexusrae4 (@lexusrae4) 1670547452
\u201c@MailOnline Incredibly sad to such a talented actor.\u201d— Daily Mail Online (@Daily Mail Online) 1670533478
\u201cI enjoyed @1capplegate\u2019s interview with @kellyclarkson on the #KellyClarksonShow. Her openness and honesty regarding her MS journey is well appreciated \ud83e\udde1\ud83e\udde1\ud83e\udde1\u201d— Keiara Katz (@Keiara Katz) 1670538689
Applegate unveiled a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 14 after it was delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
It was her first public appearance since she revealed her MS diagnosis.
Speaking to Variety, Applegate said of receiving the coveted star in Hollywood:
"Now my life is a different story. People are going to see me for the first time as a disabled person, and it's very difficult."
"So, for me, two years ago would have been so much better!"
Production on the final season of Dead to Me halted for five months when Applegate learned of her MS, but she insisted to the cast and crew she wanted to complete filming the final season.
She recalled:
"It was like torture—and they felt like they were torturing me, too. But I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no: We have to finish this story. We've got to get [fans] their closure too.'"
"So, if that meant me having to take a break in the middle of the day so I could go sleep—or me just leaving because I couldn't do anymore—then that's what we had to do."
The final season of Dead to Me is currently streaming on Netflix.