Christina Applegate has leaned on her family and friends since receiving a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2021, which led to a steady decline in her mobility in recent years. The actress' daughter Sadie, in particular, has stepped up to the plate to support her mother, and has often been by her side at awards show and major events. And yet, the 14-year-old is not as stoic as she appears to be, as Christina revealed in a recent episode of her podcast, MeSsy.
Tough times
Christina shares Sadie with her husband, Martyn LeNoble, and has been open about how her MS diagnosis has affected her family. "In my situation, Sadie only knew me as healthy, and a runner, and a Pelotoner and a dancer, and she only knew that," the 53-year-old shared. "So then, when this came about [in] 2021, she was stoic about it."
"And now, I see her look at me when I'm in bed and can't quite move, or I wanna go say goodnight to her in her room, but I can't quite get down the hallway for whatever reason that my legs aren't working that day," she continued. "Right now I can barely get to the bathroom, it's the worst, but that's neither here nor there. It's broken her."
Learn more about Christina's heartbreaking health battle below...
Christina added that Sadie saw it as "losing the mom she had" to MS, and that it hurt her more the older she grew. "Also, I was diagnosed in 2021, so we had just gone through COVID and no school and all this stuff, and now Mommy can't do all the things that she used to be able to do, and I see it in her eyes. I see it."
Despite it all, the Mad About You star explained that Sadie was an incredible help, and encouraged her to push herself every day. "You know what's really beautiful? When we're out, she knows I'm having such a hard time because I have such anxiety about being out. And she's always got my arm," Christina said. "She's always trying to help me through and help me with my cane and all this stuff. At home, she's like, 'Can you please go down and make my food cause you're the only one who can make it.'"
"She's like, 'You're going down all the steps.' And I'm like, 'Sadie, I can't make it down the [expletive] steps.' But I do it. I do it because I know that it's like she's checking in to make sure, 'Can she still take care of me?'"
MS advocate
Christina has been open about her battle with MS, a neurological disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause vision problems, stiffness, extreme fatigue and difficulties with speech and movement. Over the years, she has worked hard to raise awareness of the debilitating illness and often shares her experiences on her podcast, MeSsy, alongside fellow sufferer Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
"It's just so incredibly painful, awkward, and isolating," she said of the disease on their podcast. "I can't even pick up my phone sometimes. The MS has traveled into my hands, and now I'll go to grab my phone or the remote, and sometimes I can't even hold them."