Selma Blair reveals multiple sclerosis diagnosis: ‘I am disabled’

‘I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least’

(Getty Images)

Selma Blair has revealed she has multiple sclerosis (MS).

The 46-year-old actor shared the news with fans on Saturday, explaining how she had been diagnosed with the lifelong condition, which affects the brain and the spinal cord, in August.

Writing on Instagram, Blair said that despite only just being diagnosed, she has been experiencing symptoms for years, leading her to believe she might’ve had the disease for more than a decade.

The Cruel Intentions star begins the candid post by recalling a recent wardrobe fitting for Another Life, the 10-part Netflix series she is currently filming for, explaining how she has the “deepest gratitude” for the show’s costume designer, Allisa Swanson, for helping her into her clothes.

“She carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my tops over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself," Blair writes.

"I have Multiple Sclerosis. I am in an exacerbation.”

She goes on to thank the producers at Netflix for their compassion before illustrating how the disease is beginning to have an adverse effect on her daily existence.

“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.”

MS is an incurable condition that disrupts the central nervous system and can cause a number of physically debilitating symptoms, including blurred vision, difficulty walking, muscle spasms and fatigue.

According to the NHS, there are more than 100,000 people with MS in the UK.

It’s most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s and 30s and is more common in women than men.

Two months after receiving the initial diagnosis, Blair explains she is now “in the thick” of her illness and feels perpetually exhausted.

The mother-of-one described herself as “a forthcoming person”, adding that she longs for the physical capabilities she had before which enabled her to carry out everyday activities such as playing with her son and going horse riding.

“I have MS and I am ok,” she continues.

“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.”

Blair concludes her post by explaining how she has had symptoms for years, but was never taken seriously by doctors until she fell down in a medical examination while trying to “sort out” what she had presumed was a pinched nerve.

“I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least,” she adds.

“And I am relieved to at least know. And share.”

The actor's post has been liked more than 37,000 times, prompting a flurry of supportive comments from fans and fellow celebrities who praised Blair for her bravery.

"I love you, I'm proud of you, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you," wrote Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred alongside Blair in Cruel Intentions in 1999.

"You are a stellar being, Selma Blair," tweeted Rose McGowan.

"Your truth and honesty will help so many. Blessings on your journey."