After a career spanning five decades, Christina Applegate finally achieved a lifelong goal of hers – receiving a star on the coveted Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was an emotional day for the 50-year-old, who was making her first public appearance since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
She was accompanied by Katey Sagal and David Faustino (from Married… With Children) and Linda Cardellini (from Dead to Me) during her speech, which was emotional from start to finish. She not only talked about how she dreamed of this moment as a kid but also spoke about the importance of friends.
Applegate was originally scheduled to receive her star in 2020, but plans had to change once the COVID-19 pandemic came along. Then she was diagnosed with MS while filming the final season of Dead to Me, which unfortunately delayed things even more. Now, she can finally let reality settle in.
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Sagal, who played Christina’s mother in the 90s sitcom Married… With Children, stood by her former co-star throughout her five-minute speech – not just for moral support, but for physical support as her balance and coordination worsens due to MS. Applegate also had a cane to help her walk around.
During the speech, she shared a memory of a five-year-old Christina standing in line to see the first Star Wars movie in the theater across the street from where her star is now located. She didn’t know what the stars meant at the time, but she knew she wanted one. 45 years later, she no longer has to wish for one.
Most of her speech was spent thanking her friends – who she gives all the credit in the world. “I don’t say that I have friends – I have family. These people take care of me. They take care of me every day of my life and without them, I wouldn’t know what I would do,” she said as she held back tears and emotion.
Applegate has enjoyed a storied career – both in front of and behind the camera. She recently finished filming the final season of Dead to Me and the first episode was released on November 17th. While she believes her career as an actress is done, she’s excited to begin a new chapter behind the camera.
Christina Applegate Gives Touching Tribute to Her Daughter
Christina Applegate saved the best for last. After thanking her family for all they do, she gave a special tribute to her daughter – who turns 12 in January. “You are so much more than even you know. You are so beautiful, and kind, and loving, and smart, and interesting, and I’m blessed every day,” she said.
She thanked her daughter for always being by her side through all of ‘this’ – before cracking a joke about her MS diagnosis. “Oh, by the way, I have a disease. Did you not notice? I’m not even wearing shoes” she said in a sarcastic and joking manner. “Anywho, you’re supposed to laugh at that,” she added.
Christina Applegate was walking barefoot throughout the entire ceremony – citing her MS as the driving force behind the decision. “Barefoot. For some with MS the feeling of shoes may hurt or make us feel off balance. So today I was me. Barefoot,” she said on Twitter, posting a photo of her feet on her new star.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the central nervous system – which includes the brain and spinal cord. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the central nervous system, resulting in several symptoms – including numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, fatigue, blindness, and/or paralysis.