Christina Applegate's Tragic True Life Story
Throughout the late '80s and '90s, Christina Applegate brought comedy to the masses as the not-so-bright Kelly Bundy on "Married... with Children," a show that's still loved decades later. From her brief stint as a pink bodycon dress-wearing meteorologist to her accidental swiping of human ashes from neighbor Marcy D'Arcy's (Amanda Bearse) house for use in Al Bundy's (Ed O'Neill) grilled burgers, Applegate's hilariously dimwitted antics as Kelly are numerous.
However, despite bringing a spirit of levity to viewers for an entire decade, Applegate experienced much darkness in her life from a very young age. She dealt with family issues following her parents' divorce when she was only 5 months old, battled breast cancer, endured relationship struggles, including a divorce from her first husband, and had to say goodbye to a major dream due to an injury. Even after all of this, Applegate's struggles continued, with the actress going public in 2021 about her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. Ever since, along with fellow MS fighter Jamie-Lynn Sigler, she's been vocal about the negative effects that the disease has had on her life and career.
Read on for the full tragic story of Applegate.
Her parents divorced when she was a baby
Christina Applegate was born in 1971 to Bob Applegate, a record producer, and Nancy Priddy, an actress. They could've been the ultimate entertainment industry family, but the relationship between her parents didn't last.
When Christina was only 5 months old, her mom and dad divorced. While she lived with Priddy in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, California, Bob moved more than five hours north to Big Sur. Given the distance, he and his daughter weren't close during her youth, which is something that both came to regret. In an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?," Christina said, "My dad and mother split up when I was so young, I didn't get to spend the kind of time with him that I think either he or I would've liked to have spent."
But with time, and especially after the birth of Christina's own daughter Sadie in 2011, they've grown closer. She said, "Since I've had Sadie, he's spent a lot more time down here, which has been really nice. We're bonded because of blood, but we're also bonded because I'm part of him and part of his personality."
She helped pay the bills at a young age
Since Christina Applegate grew up in a single-parent household, money was tight. That's why, beginning at the age of one, she appeared in commercials and shows, including an episode of "Days of Our Lives" alongside her mother Nancy Priddy, to help make ends meet.
Applegate told Backstage, "It was something that I was always doing because I had to for survival. My mom, you know, that was how we made our money, me doing radio commercials or commercials or whatever. It's how we were fed. It's all I've ever known."
Though Applegate considered stepping away from the industry at the age of 13 as she craved a normal teenage life, she quickly realized that, despite Priddy getting her into acting, she had developed a true passion for it. She said, "At 13, do you even understand what having a passion for something is? I don't think so. All I knew is that the idea of it going away didn't feel right to me. Didn't sit right. I don't know what I would've done if I'd just gone off and [had] the freedom of being a normal kid."
Only a few years after this crossroads, Applegate was catapulted into the spotlight at 16 when she made her debut as Kelly Bundy on "Married... with Children." She went on to enjoy a lengthy career on TV and in movies, despite turning down the hit Reese Witherspoon rom-com "Legally Blonde."
Her family had a troubled history
Throughout most of his life, Christina Applegate's father Bob Applegate didn't know the true story of his parents, Paul Applegate and Lavina Shaw. The two were separated before he was even born, and Shaw passed away at an early age. Bob was told by his paternal grandmother, whom he lived with as a kid, "She was found outside a bar, dead, beaten to death."
On an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?," Christina made it her mission to discover the truth of her dad's childhood. Her research took her to Trenton, New Jersey, the birthplace of Bob. Through court documents, she learned that Paul and Shaw took part in a nasty custody battle, with both accusing the other of abuse and alcoholism.
After obtaining a death certificate, Christina found that Shaw died of pulmonary tuberculosis with effusion and cirrhosis of the liver due to chronic alcoholism. The harrowing story told to Bob by his grandmother was a lie. Shaw's mother, who often helped take care of Bob, passed away a few years prior. It was likely that Shaw couldn't handle the duties of being a single mother.
"It's a sad story of a woman who had to be sacrificed because of this disease," Christina says. "It can destroy many families and, consequently, lines of people after that. And my father has lived his life thinking it was something really horrible that happened to Lavina."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
She's a breast cancer survivor
In 2008, at the age of 36, Christina Applegate became a breast cancer survivor, thanks to early detection. Since her mother Nancy Priddy was diagnosed in her 30s, with a recurrence in her 50s, Applegate knew that she might have to endure the same battle someday. To be on the safe side, she began undergoing frequent screenings in her 30s, which helped her catch the disease quickly.
Though the cancer was confined to one breast, Applegate decided to have a double mastectomy, reducing the possibility of a recurrence. It was a rough time for Applegate, but her fame made it all the more difficult. Rumors of her cancer and subsequent mastectomy began swirling and, only two months post-surgery, her work on "Samantha Who?" required her to attend the Emmy Awards as a nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Applegate told Women's Health of attending the ceremony, "It was my coming out, I guess. I knew everyone would be looking. I just thought, 'Please don't cry, please don't cry, please don't cry.'"
After making it through to the other side, Applegate wanted to help as many high-risk women as possible get access to early detection testing, and founded Right Action for Women. She said, "I found out that there was something wrong after my MRI. Had it not been for [the test], I don't know what would've happened."
She suffers from insomnia
For most of her adult life, Christina Applegate has suffered from severe insomnia, a sleep disorder that can negatively impact all aspects of a person. She told People, "It's something a lot of people don't talk about. Millions and millions of people aren't sleeping. It affects your spiritual self, emotional self, and physical self."
Applegate revealed on the "Rachael Ray Show" that her insomnia intensified after she welcomed her daughter into the world. Because of Sadie's feeding schedule, Applegate got used to getting up every three hours. However, even when Sadie began sleeping through the night, Applegate's body remained on the same schedule. "I'm still getting up every three hours," she said. "So I suffer greatly by it. And it's hard because at some point you think, 'Oh, this is how I'm supposed to feel. The new normal is feeling exhausted and pushing through.'"
In an attempt to learn more about the condition and finally get some real sleep, Applegate partnered with a now-unavailable site called WhySoAwake.com. The actress explained to Ray, also an insomniac, how everyone has an "awake" brain and a "sleep" brain. The goal, she said, is to quiet down the "awake" brain by avoiding books and electronics an hour before bedtime. If someone does need the noise or light of the TV to fall asleep, she recommended using a sleep timer. She told People, "It's not good for your subconscious to listen to the nonsense on late-night news."
Christina Applegate's first marriage ended in divorce
In 1997, Christina Applegate began dating Johnathon Schaech, a fellow actor who, one year prior, rose to stardom thanks to his portrayal of brooding rocker Jimmy in the Tom Hanks-led "That Thing You Do!" Four years later, the couple tied the knot. However, this romance was short-lived, with the two separating in 2005 and officially divorcing in 2007.
While some celebrity breakups are rather contentious, there appear to be no hard feelings between Applegate and Schaech. He said on an episode of Jana Kramer's "Whine Down" podcast, "I loved her so much. I still love her so much. I don't think [wife Julie Solomon] will ever be offended that I would ever say that."
When Applegate married Dutch bassist Martyn LeNoble in 2013, Schaech was nothing but supportive of his ex-wife. He told Us Weekly, "I love her very much and I'm very happy for her and her family." Then, in 2024, after she walked onto the Emmys stage with a cane due to MS and received a standing ovation, Schaech posted on X, "She's the toughest human being I've ever met!"
Though the separation and divorce were initially hard on Schaech, he has since found happiness with Solomon, a brand strategist and podcast host, with whom he shares two children.
Her boyfriend died of an overdose
In the interim between her split from Johnathon Schaech and her relationship with Martyn LeNoble, Christina Applegate saw Lee Grivas in an on-again, off-again capacity. She met the skateboarder, photographer, and Alaskan fisherman via a castmate from Broadway's "Sweet Charity," in which Applegate starred in 2005.
The couple initially seemed happy. Grivas told People (via HuffPost), "I like making her smile and she likes making me smile. It's really innocent and fun." However, behind the scenes, Grivas battled drug and alcohol addiction. This led to a shaky relationship with Applegate who, according to reports, broke up with him numerous times when he failed to get sober.
On July 1, 2008, at the age of 26, Grivas was found deceased in his Hollywood apartment. The cause of death was from an apparent overdose. Though Applegate and Grivas weren't romantically involved at that time, she issued a heartfelt statement (via People): "I am profoundly saddened. Lee was an incredible human being who was an extremely important and beautiful part of my life. He is missed beyond words. He touched so many and I feel much sadness for his mother, brother and all of his family and friends."
She and her fiancé dealt with a stalker
After her divorce from Johnathon Schaech and difficult relationship with Lee Grivas, Christina Applegate found happiness with Martyn LeNoble, and the two got engaged in 2010 on Valentine's Day. Though her ex-husband wished her nothing but the best in this next endeavor, not everybody shared Schaech's attitude.
In 2012, LeNoble began receiving threatening messages on Twitter from a fan who took his parasocial relationship with Applegate to a concerning level. One of the messages (via TMZ) said, "You stole [Christina] away from me. If not for you she would be mine." Another said, "I'm going to bust your head in for taking her away from me!!! Be afraid, be very afraid!!" As the LAPD launched an investigation, the anonymous profile was deleted.
This isn't the only obsessed individual that Applegate has had to deal with over the years. An entire news segment was done on George Langar, a clothing salesman from Lombard, Illinois whom the LAPD's Special Stalking Unit closely watched. Langar wrote weekly fan letters to Applegate for two years straight and even had a shrine of the actress in his bedroom. He said in the segment, "Christina, you're my favorite actress. I just want you to know that I would never do such a thing to hurt you. All I want is just to meet you."
Her time on Broadway was short-lived
Many Christina Applegate fans might not be aware that, before her "Married... with Children" fame, she boasted a strong passion for dance, and trained for several years in her youth. Therefore, when granted the opportunity to star as the lead in "Sweet Charity" in 2005, she jumped at the chance. She said in a behind-the-scenes interview with Broadway.com, "Dancing, it was always just my thing. It was my personal journey that I was on, and I stopped taking lessons about 10 years ago. So getting back into it has been really hard."
Challenges ensued early on, when Applegate broke her foot during rehearsals for a pre-Broadway, out-of-town run. A confusing few weeks ensued, during which producer Barry Weissler shared with the press that standby Charlotte d'Amboise would be the new lead. Though d'Amboise did star in the remainder of the out-of-town shows and New York previews, Applegate took back the helm on April 18.
"Sweet Charity" ended its Broadway run on December 31 that same year. Turns out, Applegate's time doing dance-heavy musicals ended due to having rushed the recovery of her foot. She said in an interview with TheInsider.com, "[Broadway's] the best thing that ever happened to me. But I actually can't dance anymore. And that is sad for me because I always wanted to go back. But I probably won't be able to."
She's battling multiple sclerosis
On August 10, 2021, Christina Applegate took to social media to reveal a harrowing new part of her life. She wrote on X, "Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a****** blocks it."
One person of support has been Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who was diagnosed with MS at the age of 20 while starring as Meadow Soprano on HBO's "The Sopranos." Over the past few years, Applegate and Sigler have leaned on each other for support. Both appeared in a "Good Morning America" segment, in which Applegate recalled her first symptom: A tingling sensation in her toes while filming "Dead to Me" in early 2021. By that summer, her condition worsened so much that she was brought to set in a wheelchair.
To share their respective stories on a larger scale and help others with MS feel less alone, Applegate and Sigler launched the podcast "MeSsy." Applegate explained that sharing her MS struggles, including how angry she feels most days, is helping her shed the forced persona of light and levity that she put on for so long, saying, "It's kind of my coming out party. This is who I've been this whole time."
She was uncomfortable with her self-image
After decades on the screen — a large chunk of which was spent in skin-tight clothing as Kelly Bundy — Christina Applegate understandably got used to seeing herself in a certain way. Therefore, when "Dead to Me" Season 3, which was filmed during her MS diagnosis, dropped on Netflix, she had a hard time watching. Not only did viewing these episodes bring back memories of how physically and mentally draining it was to be on set, but she also wasn't used to witnessing a bigger version of herself.
Due to inactivity and MS medications, Applegate gained 40 pounds over the course of production. She told Vanity Fair that, while watching the show, it felt like she was looking at a completely different person. "And it's really, really hard for me because so much of my life was my image and then I see this person and I'm like, 'Who is this person with 20 chins?' To be really brutally honest, that's kind of what's really hard about it for me to watch."
It took Applegate some time to get through the whole season, as she kept hitting pause when the emotions became too strong. But eventually, she was able to think more positively about the situation. She told the Los Angeles Times, "At some point I was able to distance myself from my own ego, and realize what a beautiful piece of television it was."
Christina Applegate may be retiring from acting
Christina Applegate's MS diagnosis forced her to make a lot of changes for "Dead to Me" Season 3. Thankfully, everyone on set was accommodating to her needs, but she's unsure if she'd be so lucky on another TV or film set. She told People, "I'm afraid. I don't know if anyone's going to accept me now, the way I am." That's why, on the heels of the final "Dead to Me" season, she felt it was unlikely that she'd act on-camera again. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said, "I can't even imagine going to set right now. This is a progressive disease. I don't know if I'm going to get worse."
Though Applegate suggested that she can always do less-intensive voiceover work to support her family and remain in the industry that she loves, she admitted to People that it would be difficult to say goodbye to the screen for good. "But to not be able to do it again, honestly it hurts my heart."
Hopefully, if this is the case, Applegate can take some solace in the life of her friend Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Hollywood might not be casting Sigler for major roles anymore, but she's embracing other things that bring her joy, like her husband and kids, podcasting, and advocating for people with MS.