Christina Applegate Bought A Burial Plot Amid Her MS. Calling That Morbid? You Need A Reality Check

Christina Applegate's multiple sclerosis diagnosis has led her to make some tough calls. MS is an autoimmune disease that propels the immune system to attack myelin cells, which act as a protective cover for the brain and the spinal cord, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The damaged myelin cells hinder communication between the brain and the nervous system, which in turn affects movement, cognitive function, and vision. MS is incurable, but symptoms and progression can be managed through treatments.

After first opening up about her diagnosis in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, in August 2021, Applegate has been brutally honest about all the hardships she has faced along the way in her journey. During a March 2026 appearance on NPR's "Wild Card With Rachel Martin" podcast, the "Married... with Children" alum confessed that she thought about "every day" as her disease progressed. Applegate also revealed that she had purchased an area of land, which she had had her eyes set on for quite some time, to be her final resting place. 

She also shared that she would select a tree to plant in the area so that people who came to visit her grave would get to spend time with her without the blazing sun boring down on them. After stating that she had made the decision due to the unpredictable nature of the autoimmune disease, the retired actor further unpacked her thought process, saying, "Just buy it now. That way, nobody has to deal with it." To some, this choice may seem morbid or maybe even a bit pessimistic. However, I don't see things that way in the slightest.

Some people may be compelled to think that Christina Applegate's decision to buy her burial plot is morbid due to societal expectations surrounding people with chronic illness. People in Applegate's shoes are generally expected to be optimistic and strong as they navigate their condition. However, the people who buy into this notion fail to see two major points. Firstly, people with chronic illnesses have varied perspectives on their situation based on their own lived experiences. Secondly, a person can still be optimistic and strong while being pragmatic, as Applegate has been. 

With Applegate's practical choice to choose her own burial plot, she took away a major stress of her final rites from her family and provided them with additional mental space to process her eventual loss. To me, that seems like a practical act of love and not something morbid. Additionally, it seems that the people who view Applegate's personal choice as something negative seem to have the privilege of not having to empathize with hard calls surrounding mortality.

At the end of the day, she is the only person who knows what she is going through. Yes, Applegate has been open about the warning signs she missed before her MS diagnosis and numerous other aspects of her life following the diagnosis. However, she is the only one who knows what it's like to live in her body and experience the symptoms and treatments of multiple sclerosis. So, the decisions she makes shouldn't be up for debate or discussion at all.