Overview
- On Tuesday Applegate disclosed on her podcast MeSsy that clinicians concluded her 2021 multiple sclerosis diagnosis was incorrect after re-evaluating earlier imaging with newer techniques.
- The correction has not changed her health: Applegate says her neurological symptoms persist and in some ways have worsened, and she still uses a wheelchair for some visits after a multi-month hospital stay in 2026.
- She received years of MS-directed care, including infusion treatments, and physicians began re-checking those earlier findings when expected treatment responses did not appear.
- Applegate describes serious emotional and practical fallout from the reversal, including depression, lost work and guilt about her role as a public MS advocate.
- Neurologists quoted in coverage note there is no single definitive test for MS, estimate misdiagnosis rates roughly between 10 and 20 percent, and urge second opinions and careful long-term review when making life-changing diagnoses.