Overview
- On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Applegate told listeners on her MeSsY podcast that her doctors informed her she had been misdiagnosed with MS in 2021.
- The diagnostic reversal has not changed her condition: she still has severe mobility and neurological symptoms and uses a wheelchair in clinical settings.
- Clinicians began re‑evaluating the case after treatment responses and cell tests did not match expectations, and an active investigation is under way to determine why the original diagnosis was made.
- Applegate said the news has taken a heavy emotional and practical toll, including a period of deep depression, lost work and a sense of having let down people she advocated for.
- Medical experts on the podcast explained that MS has no single definitive test and that studies estimate roughly 15–20% of cases can be misdiagnosed, a mistake that can expose patients to unnecessary immune therapies and delay correct care.