Christina Applegate recorded the latest episode of her Messy podcast from a Los Angeles hospital bed, revealing she has been hospitalized with severe pain that left her screaming. The 53-year-old actress, known for her roles in Married… With Children and Dead to Me, made the decision to go directly to the hospital after returning from a family visit in Europe.
During Tuesday’s podcast episode, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate explained her determination to get comprehensive medical testing. She told listeners that she wanted every possible test performed to find answers about her condition. The actress described waking up the day after her hospital admission feeling like her appendix was bursting due to excruciating pain on her side.
The intense pain led to an emergency CT scan at 2 in the morning, which revealed the source of her distress. Applegate described the experience, saying, “So much pain. I’m screaming, and they ordered me an emergency CT at 2 in the morning.” The actress has previously detailed experiencing similar excruciating pain from her MS condition. The medical tests showed that she had developed a kidney infection that had since spread to her other kidney, requiring immediate medical intervention.
Applegate’s kidney infection requires extended hospital treatment
The actress explained that she will need to remain hospitalized to receive intravenous antibiotics to treat the spreading kidney infection. She emphasized her commitment to staying in the hospital until she receives proper treatment and answers about her condition. This health crisis adds to the medical challenges Applegate has faced since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August 2021, a diagnosis that shut down Dead to Me production for five months.
During her hospital stay, medical staff questioned whether the kidney infection might have originated from a urinary tract infection and inquired about her personal hygiene practices. Applegate responded to these questions with characteristic humor, joking about her cleanliness and expressing disbelief at having to address such topics at age 53. She maintained her sense of humor despite the serious nature of her condition and the ongoing pain she was experiencing.
Despite her physical discomfort, Applegate managed to inject levity into her podcast appearance while being transparent about her emotional state. She described feeling overwhelmed by the situation, saying she sometimes falls into nurses’ arms crying and that she was “holding in a bag o’ tears.” The actress has been open about her health struggles since her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, using her platform to discuss the realities of living with chronic illness while maintaining her career in entertainment.
Published: Aug 6, 2025 11:51 am