Entertainment

Selma Blair reveals MS diagnosis: I hope to give hope to others

The actress said she was given the news by doctors in August.
The actress said she was given the news by doctors in August. The actress said she was given the news by doctors in August.

Actress Selma Blair has revealed she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The 46-year-old, who has starred in films such as Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, said she had suffered symptoms of the condition “for years” but was diagnosed in August.

Sharing an emotional post on Instagram, Blair said she was “OK”, but admitted it had been “overwhelming in the beginning”.

“I am disabled,” she said. “I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken GPS.

“But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I was in this wardrobe fitting two days ago. And I am in the deepest gratitude. So profound, it is, I have decided to share. The brilliant costumer #Allisaswanson not only designs the pieces #harperglass will wear on this new #Netflix show , but she carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my tops over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself. I have #multiplesclerosis . I am in an exacerbation. By the grace of the lord, and will power and the understanding producers at Netflix , I have a job. A wonderful job. I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it . And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best. Since my diagnosis at ten thirty pm on The night of August 16, I have had love and support from my friends , especially @Jaime king @sarahmgellar @realfreddieprinze @tarasubkoff @noah.d.newman . My producers #noreenhalpern who assured me that everyone has something. #chrisregina #aaronmartin and every crew member… thank you. I am in the thick of it but I hope to give some hope to others. And even to myself. You can’t get help unless you ask. It can be overwhelming in the beginning. You want to sleep. You always want to sleep. So I don’t have answers. You see, I want to sleep. But I am a forthcoming person and I want my life to be full somehow. I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse. I have MS and I am ok. But if you see me , dropping crap all over the street, feel free to help me pick it up. It takes a whole day for me alone. Thank you and may we all know good days amongst the challenges. And the biggest thanks to @elizberkley who forced me to see her brother #drjasonberkley who gave me this diagnosis after finding lesions on that mri. I have had symptoms for years but was never taken seriously until I fell down in front of him trying to sort out what I thought was a pinched nerve. I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least. And I am relieved to at least know. And share. my instagram family… you know who you are.

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on

The actress is due to star in Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi drama series Another Life, and she told how the show’s costume designer had been helping to dress her.

“She carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my tops over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself,” she said.

Despite the diagnosis, Blair said she was “relieved” to find out and wanted to provide hope to others.

“I want my life to be full somehow,” she added. “I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse.”

MS is an incurable condition of the central nervous system, which causes symptoms such as vision loss, pain, fatigue, muscle weakness and impaired coordination.

More than 100,000 people in the UK suffer from MS, and it affects three times as many women as men.

Genevieve Edwards of the MS Society said: “We know lots of people in the MS community will be really grateful to Selma Blair for her decision to speak out. She’ll raise vital awareness of a condition that affects more than 100,000 people in the UK.

“MS is unpredictable and different for everyone so, as the actress revealed, you can live with symptoms for years and not receive a diagnosis. While there’s no cure, there are a range of treatments available for the relapsing form of MS, and new developments are happening in research all the time.

“What’s most encouraging about Selma’s post is the attitude of her colleagues. Having the right support around you is crucial because, when your employer takes time to understand MS, you can enjoy a full working life for as long as you want or are able to.”