Christina Applegate was moved to tears as she received a standing ovation at the Emmy’s 2023 where she made a powerful return after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
The 52-year-old actress was onstage to present the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award when the audience broke into applause and gave her a standing ovation. The Dead to Me star got emotional but quickly regained her composure with her signature humour that has made her a beloved star to many fans.
“Oh my God, you’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up. It’s fine…Body not by Ozempic,” she said, as the audience broke into laughter.
“OK, let’s go. Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from Married… With Children or Samantha from Samantha Who? or Jen Harding from Dead to Me. Very few of you probably know me from that debut – I’m going to cry, more than I’ve been crying – Baby Burt Grizzell on Days of Our Lives. It was my breakout role,” she told the audience.
Applegate’s Day at the Emmys
Wearing a maroon velvet dress by Christian Siriano, Applegate was escorted to the stage by host Anthony Anderson and was supported by a cane. She shared a warm hug with Ayo Edebiri as she presented her with an Emmy for her role in The Bear.
Applegate was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in “Dead to Me.” Quinta Brunson, however, beat her to it.
Designer Siriano posted a video of the star wearing his dress on Instagram captioned: “This incredible woman #christinaapplegate tonight in Siriano silk velvet for the #emmys. Let me tell you MS is a nasty disease and this beauty is so strong and just inspiring. Tonight she is nominated and so deserves this. Love you!”
MS diagnosis and public appearances
The actress revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in 2021 when she was filming the third and final season of the hit Netflix show Dead to Me and had even hinted that the show would likely be her last onscreen role. She has since stayed away from the spotlight and only made rare appearances supported by a cane as the MS diagnosis may cause a person to lose their balance.
Applegate’s last public appearance was in late 2022 when she received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star. She had posted on X, formerly Twitter, before the event that it would “be my first time out since diagnosed with MS. Walking sticks are now part of my new normal.”
In an emotional interview with Vanity Fair in May 2023, Applegate had shared her struggle with multiple sclerosis and breast cancer at the age of 36. “”I didn’t speak up for my boundaries back then. I should have asked for some more time after one of my surgeries,” she told Vanity Fair.
She also said how she started work immediately after undergoing her double mastectomy. “I went back to work two weeks after my reconstruction. And that was really difficult for me to do. And I should have asked for more time but the people that I was working for – not the showrunners, mind you, the people at the network – were not very sympathetic or empathetic human beings, to be honest with you. And I didn’t feel like I could have that voice,” she said.