Right-wing commentator Megyn Kelly has drawn criticism for remarks suggesting actress Christina Applegate seeks attention for her health issues. The criticism comes from Janice Dean, a former Fox News meteorologist who also lives with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Kelly stated on her SiriusXM show that Applegate, who recently revealed she had been misdiagnosed with MS five years prior, was crying because she could no longer be the "face of this disease" and had made a "cottage industry" out of discussing her condition. Kelly suggested that some women, in particular, find currency in afflictions to garner sympathy, a phenomenon she described as societal.
Dean, who was once considered a friend of Kelly's, publicly denounced the comments. "Her comments about [Applegate] are disgusting. Having #MS for over 20 years, she knows how long it took for doctors to diagnose me," Dean wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I think Christina is brave for telling the truth and I’m grateful she became a voice for so many of us."
In an interview with The New York Post, Dean elaborated on her stance, calling Kelly's remarks "so heartless for a woman misdiagnosed and doesn’t know where to turn." Dean described MS as a "very misunderstood disease" that saps individuals of their energy and has impacted her own career.
"I want to say more in defense of the people who put their reputations on the line, and their body of work, to say, ‘I’m vulnerable and I’m sick’… It’s the loneliest place you can be – to hear [Applegate] cry and have Megyn Kelly use that against her is disgusting," Dean told the publication.
Applegate shared her experience on her podcast "Messy" with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, detailing the emotional toll of realizing her previous MS diagnosis was incorrect and the uncertainty that followed. She had previously spoken openly about her journey with MS since her initial diagnosis.
Dean stated she felt compelled to speak out against Kelly, despite their past friendship, to raise awareness and defend those who share their health struggles publicly. "I don’t want to go down the road she’s gone down. I don’t want to fight in the gutter, but I do want to raise awareness," Dean said.