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Christina Applegate Says Her MS Was Misdiagnosed

The actress was told by a doctor that she does not have the condition she was diagnosed with in twenty twenty-one, The New York Times reports.

Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Dale Bearman on this story, from BBN After Hours at 2:22 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Christina Applegate
Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

  1. Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorRight, so what actually happened with Christina Applegate?

  2. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe actress was given a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in twenty twenty-one.

  3. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentShe now says a doctor has told her she doesn't have it after all, according to The New York Times.

  4. Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorDoes this change anything for me? I'm asking for a friend who owns a lot of second opinions.

  5. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNot directly. It's one woman's experience, and a doctor reversing a diagnosis is exactly why second opinions exist.

  6. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIf you have a diagnosis you're unsure about, you ask your own doctor.

  7. Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo who checks the check?

  8. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentOther doctors do, and that's apparently how this came to light.

  9. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAnd what happens next is up to her and her care team, and she has the right to say as much or as little as she likes.

  10. Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorHonestly, that's the most sensible thing anyone has said about a diagnosis all week.

  11. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFinally, a sensible use of one.

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The story so far

  1. Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS · Variety
  2. Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS · E! News
  3. Applegate misdiagnosis, Meta's Muse, Indonesia ferry fire · E! News
  4. MS misdiagnosis, a card heist and Senate ad fights · New York Post
  5. Applegate says new technology revealed MS misdiagnosis; Trump… · CBS News
  6. Christina Applegate Says Her MS Was Misdiagnosed (this story)

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months