’80s Sitcom Queen Christina Applegate Shares Heartbreaking Realization About Her Own Life originally appeared on Parade.
When Christina Applegate, 53, starred in Married With Children people either wanted to be her or be with her. The knock-out star has always been a talented beauty, but the truth is. her life hasn’t been an easy one. Growing up in the limelight may seem glamorous but there are plenty of artists who have expressed how much it can mess with their sense of identity.
Sadly, the actress is among them. Recently on the REBEL[LIOUS] podcast with Jen Esposito and Cat Yezbak, Applegate opened up about how being in the spotlight so young impacted her.
“I don’t think I’ve lived my own life,” confessed Applegate. “As Christina. As the little kid born in Laurel Canyon. I’ve been this other person my whole life. And that’s a pretty heavy thing and I’m just her, and I don’t even know who she is and I’m 53 years old. I lived on sets and you had to be what you had to be.”
Fans were heartbroken to hear she felt this way.
“[Please]tell Christina she is incredible and she made an impression on me when she came to my J.R. High when I was a kid to speak to us! I appreciated that she did that! The arts matter she matters! I’m rooting for her,” wrote one fan.
“Absolutely but it makes complete sense. We are born into other people’s experiences and expectations. Then start a family not having a clue what you’re doing. Getting to know yourself after all of that is HUGE and scary sad,” empathized another.
What health issues does Christina Applegate have?
The confession came from an extremely candid two part interview where Applegate gets into everything from stardom to her own personal health struggles.
In 2008 the Dead to Me actress learned she had breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. In part one of the interview, she detailed how hard it is to look down at her “mangled breasts,”
As if that weren’t enough, i n 2021 she announced that she was living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which largely impacts day-today functioning and can be extremely painful.
What is Christina Applegate doing now?
Currently Applegate is co-hosting a podcast entitled “MeSsy” with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, a fellow actress who is also battling MS. The two are very open how they struggle with and live with the disease. They also have friends, co-stars and other guests on the show to have raw (and hysterical) conversations about the “messiness of life.” So far the pair have had guests like Judd Apatow, Jenny Mollen and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
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’80s Sitcom Queen Christina Applegate Shares Heartbreaking Realization About Her Own Life first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.