Selma Blair Shares Positive Update On MS Diagnosis!

Things are finally looking great for Selma Blair amidst her MS diagnosis!

The popular actress, whose legendary success in her career began as early as 1998, had to pause after getting diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in 2018. Now five years later, she recently revealed a promising update on the illness while answering questions during an interview. 

Although she delivered stellar performances in the films "Cruel Intentions" and "Legally Blonde," the iconic star is more known nowadays for her appearance on the hit show "Dancing With The Stars." Being on the dance floor earned her a "People's Choice Award" for Competition Contestant of 2022.

In her cover story for the January issue of "Self magazine," the 50-year-old shared honestly how the condition impacted her life from the time she got diagnosed. Sitting down to chat with Self, she briefly spoke about her 2-year-old Labrador Scout, a service dog trained to alert Blair whenever he feels she's getting weak or needs to take her medication.

He has become part of her MS journey, which is known to be very unpredictable as it attacks the central nervous system. This means that a person's immune system mistakenly attacks myelin — a protective sheath that acts as insulation around the body's nerve fibers. 

Her symptoms are extensive and lasting on "The Sweetest Thing" actress, as she explained in her memoir "Mean Baby" how she recognized the neurological condition's physical prompts. Some of them included throbbing headaches, steady fevers, and limbs that constantly failed her, which she experienced as early as fourth grade.  

The author would eventually develop persistent pain and loss of feeling in her legs. Doctors failed to diagnose her, blaming it on depression and malnourishment, and even wondered if she was making it all up.

She noted that when eventually she knew what was happening, there was a sense of relief, writing, "like the way you feel when an ocean wave breaks right at the shore before taking you under." 

Rather than hide out and keep to herself since the onset of her illness, she opened up about it and quickly became one of the most prominent faces advocating for disability in Hollywood. 

In her book, the "Hellboy" star wrote, "I always say how visibility matters for the disabled. Well, visibility matters for everyone. You have to show that you're still alive." In 2021, Blair shot a documentary to chronicle her life while preparing for a potentially life-changing and risky stem cell transplant.

Fortunately, it turned out well for her as she finally stopped having regression for the first time since 2018 – meaning it stopped progressing, and she stopped losing abilities. 

The "Brown's Requiem" actress shared that even with the new and better situation, the disease still haunts her daily life, adding, "I'm so much better, but it haunts my physical cells. It's there." The mother-of-one continued:

"Some people wake up two years later, and they're like, 'I'm healed! Colors are brighter!' But I never had that moment. I just stopped having regression."

The two actresses, who have been long-time pals and co-stars, now share another thing in common — battling the same autoimmune disorder, Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Their shared diagnosis has only helped bring them closer to each other, as Blair shared how they have supported themselves through the life-changing event.

Per The Blast, Blair had only praises for the 51-year-old and how she handled the huge change that she announced in 2021. The "Dancing With The Stars" alum chatted with ET's Denny Directo and expressed gratitude for being alive to witness her friend celebrated at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

She referred to Applegate as an iconic California girl actress of her generation, gushing, "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." 

Apart from supporting the "Dead To Me" actress's feats in her Hollywood career, the Michigan native noted that she was returning the many favors the older star had given her. 

Despite her diagnosis, Blair stated that the "Married... with Children" star still supports her, calling her a strong person and a nurturer. She added that in return, she tried to help her friend with canes to aid her walking and other things to make living in her new reality easier.