Christina Applegate attended her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday, November 14, significantly marking the Emmy winner’s first public appearance since disclosing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in the spring of 2021. Applegate was originally set to receive her star on the Walk of Fame in 2020. But the pandemic delayed the ceremony. He announced his MS diagnosis on Twitter in 2021, midway through production of the third and final season of his Netflix comedy “Dead to Me.”
Before Applegate’s appearance, she was honored at the Walk of Fame ceremony by her “Married…with Children” co-stars Katie Sagal and David Faustino. When she told Applegate, Sagal choked up, “You’re not alone. We’re all here.” Applegate’s “Dead to Me” co-star Linda Cardellini and producer Liz Feldman were also on hand to pay tribute to Applegate.
Applegate walked to the podium at the Walk of Fame ceremony with the help of Sagal, who stayed on stage with her during her speech. Applegate broke down in tears while talking about her daughter and thanking her for her support through her MS diagnosis.
“The most important person in this world is my daughter,” Applegate said. “You are so much more than you know. You are so beautiful and kind and smart and interesting. I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and take you to school…Thank you for standing by me through it all.”
Applegate called her fans in attendance “awesome” and added, “Every single one of you. I love you [all] so much.”
In an interview with Variety before the Walk of Fame ceremony, Applegate said filming the final season of “Dead to Me” while battling MS was “harder than you’d probably imagine.” The actor had to use a wheelchair to reach the set.
“I was diagnosed while we were working,” Applegate said. “I had to call everybody and be like, ‘I have multiple sclerosis guys. Like, what the hell!’ And then it was kind of about learning—we all learn—what I would be able to do.
“Dead to Me” Season 3 debuts on Netflix on Nov. 17, and will be Applegate’s first new project to be released since her announcement about MS. “People are going to see me as a disabled person for the first time, and it’s very difficult,” Applegate told Variety about the show’s debut and her first public appearance, which is set to include the “Dead to Me” premiere in November. 15
Applegate teased her public appearance in a viral Twitter post published last month. The actor posted a picture of the different canes she’s considering using on the red carpet.
“This will be my first time since being diagnosed with MS,” Applegate wrote on Twitter. “Walking sticks are now part of my new normal. Thanks, @neowalksticks for these beauties. Stay tuned to see who makes the cut for a week of stuff.”