Christina Applegate has a message for the multiple sclerosis community after learning that she was misdiagnosed: “I am still your warrior.” The actress says she intends to continue advocating for people living with the condition.
The 54-year-old addressed listeners on the October 27th episode of MeSsy, one week after revealing the medical update. According to PEOPLE, she spoke about the bonds she had formed with friends and listeners who have MS.
Co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who was diagnosed with MS in 2001, confirmed that their podcast will continue. She explained that the show has always covered their lives and the difficult experiences people navigate beyond any particular diagnosis.
Applegate also thanked listeners for supporting her. She acknowledged that the news could be confusing for others while she was still trying to understand what it meant herself.
Sigler Says Applegate Has Helped Listeners Feel Seen
Christina Applegate Tells the MS Community, Despite Her Misdiagnosis, “I’m Still Your Warrior” https://t.co/o9XcmIMYKX
— People (@people) October 27, 2026
Sigler told Applegate that sharing her experience had helped other people feel understood. She said the conversation had brought attention to the frustration of seeking an accurate diagnosis and the emotional weight that can accompany medical uncertainty.
The MS Society had also responded to Applegate’s announcement. In an October 22nd statement, the organization praised her openness and said sharing her experiences over the previous five years had helped raise awareness of a frequently misunderstood condition.
She Had Worried That She Let People Down
During her October 20th return to the podcast, Applegate described struggling with the loss of the explanation she had relied on since receiving her diagnosis in 2021. She recalled that others seemed relieved when her doctor delivered the news, while she found it upsetting.
Applegate had spoken publicly about treatments, pain, mobility difficulties and the effect of her health on her career. She said she felt as though she had “let everybody down” after becoming such a visible advocate alongside Sigler.
She also explained that she had taken time away from recording to process the revised diagnosis while dealing with other health concerns.
Her Latest Update Includes Worsening Mobility
Applegate described substantial difficulties getting out of bed during the new episode. She said she had timed herself that morning and needed 10 minutes to move off her pillow, get up and stand, according to Entertainment Weekly.
She then struggled to reach the bathroom and said she now keeps a walker beside her bed. Applegate described severe pain and weakness, adding that some symptoms were worsening while others were new.
During the previous week’s discussion, she had said she still needed a wheelchair for medical appointments because she could not walk from the car into the doctor’s office.
The MS Society Explained How Diagnosis Can Be Difficult
The MS Society said diagnosing the condition can involve gathering evidence from MRI scans, lumbar punctures and neurological examinations. There is no single test that establishes the diagnosis, and other conditions can sometimes resemble MS.
The organization also explained that diagnostic criteria are reviewed periodically by an international panel of experts to reflect developments in research. Those criteria are intended to help neurologists reach accurate diagnoses more quickly.
Applegate and Sigler invited Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai, onto their earlier podcast discussion to explain how misdiagnoses can happen. Applegate said she appreciated having that explanation available to listeners.
A Rheumatology Appointment Is Her Next Step
Applegate has not publicly announced a replacement diagnosis. She said her next step is to see a rheumatologist, with appointments involving other specialists to follow if that consultation does not provide answers.
Thinking about a potentially lengthy series of appointments has felt overwhelming, she told Sigler. For now, she is trying to approach the medical search “one step at a time.”