Christina Applegate’s Misdiagnosis Prompts MS Scrutiny
Doctors explain MS misdiagnosis after Christina Applegate says her diagnosis was wrong.
October 21, 2026 · Updated Oct 21, 6:37pm ET
MS NOWOpinion | Christina Applegate's MS news has me questioning my own diagnosis
CBS NewsChristina Applegate reveals she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis: "Not happy at all"
One America News NetworkChristina Applegate says her doctor told her she was misdiagnosed with MS
Boston Globe‘It’s really the exception that it’s not MS.’ Why Christina Applegate’s misdiagnosis is quite rare.
NewsNationMS misdiagnosis more common than people think, neurologist says
VoxWhat Christina Applegate’s misdiagnosis reveals about MS
Vice NewsChristina Applegate Doesn't Have Multiple Sclerosis After All, and Doctors Still Don't Know What's Wrong
Joe.My.God.CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread
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Pano rates the coverage Mostly Left.
What happened
Christina Applegate
Christina ApplegateAmerican actress (born 1971) said her doctor has concluded she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, after she had publicly disclosed the diagnosis in 2021. She said the original diagnosis followed tests including MRIs and a spinal tap, with doctors finding lesions on her brain. MS is an immune-system disease of the central nervous system, and doctors can struggle to diagnose it because no single test confirms it. Symptoms and MRI abnormalities can point to other causes. Applegate said she was upset and feels back at square one because she still lacks an explanation. She said serious mobility problems remain, including needing a wheelchair for medical visits. Her doctors will investigate the cause next week.
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets framed the reversal as a painful loss of certainty, while also treating it as part of a wider diagnostic problem. MS NOW lingered on the emotional blow of returning to “square one” with disabling symptoms still unresolved. Vox emphasized that MS misdiagnosis affects many patients, not just one celebrity case. The Boston Globe treated Applegate’s reversal as an unusual exception.
How the right told it
Only one right-leaning outlet we track covered this: One America News Network, under the headline “Christina Applegate says her doctor told her she was misdiagnosed with MS”.
Christina Applegate MS Misdiagnosis
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Oct 21Christina Applegate’s Misdiagnosis Prompts MS Scrutiny (this story)Mostly Left
- Oct 20Christina Applegate Reveals MS MisdiagnosisLeans Left