Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Saman Javed

Selma Blair praises ‘nurturer’ and close friend Christina Applegate amid MS struggles

Getty Images

Selma Blair and Christina Applegate have been supporting each other through their struggles with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The friends, who starred in 2002 film The Sweetest Thing together, have both been diagnosed with MS in the last five years.

MS is a disease of the central nervous system that causes symptoms such as excessive fatigue, memory problems, vision problems and mood changes.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight this week, Blair described Applegate as a “nurturer” who has supported her through the condition.

Blair made the comments amid her return to this year’s Dancing With The Stars for the competition’s finale, after she was forced to drop out mid-season due to health concerns.

“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.

“She has a lot on her plate. It’s a lot, but she’s as brilliant and beautiful as ever.”

Blair revealed she had been diagnosed with MS in 2018, while Applegate announced her diagnosis in October last year.

Applegate made her first public appearance since sharing the news this month when she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Speaking about her friend’s achievement, Blair said Applegate was an “iconic California girl actress”.

“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,” Blair said.

Applegate delivered an emotional speech at the ceremony, telling the audience that she couldn’t stand for too long due to her illness but she wanted to thank those closest to her, including her 11-year-old daughter, Sadie.

Reflecting on Applegate’s speech, Blair said: “I just want to 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.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.