Christina Applegate, 54, Says Married With Children Role Made Her Anorexia Worse
Christina Applegate has opened up about her private struggles during her rise to fame in her new memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, which officially hits shelves on March 3. In a recently published excerpt, the Emmy-winning actress reflects on her time playing Kelly Bundy on the long-running sitcom Married… with Children, a role she initially viewed with skepticism.
Applegate admitted that she and her mother were quick to judge the show’s script, describing it as trash and poorly written potty humor. After initially turning down the part, she eventually reconsidered after watching a tape of the pilot, realizing that she and her mother could not stop laughing at the series they wanted to hate.
However, the actress writes that landing the role of the rebellious Kelly Bundy significantly impacted her long-standing struggles with body image. Having dealt with body dysmorphia and anorexia before the show, she felt immense pressure to maintain a certain physique to fit the character’s aesthetic.
The star explained that she felt she had to be skinny to pull off the specific wardrobe she envisioned for Kelly. She noted that many of the outfits were so revealing that she felt forced to lean even deeper into her eating disorder to avoid showing the slightest sign of having eaten.
During the height of her time on the show, Applegate’s dietary habits became increasingly restrictive, often revolving around tiny portions or avoiding food altogether. She described a cycle of intense physical activity where she would attend multiple exercise classes a day, chasing what she now calls an unattainable quest for perfection.
As the series progressed, the actress noticed that the costumes became increasingly tighter and shorter, often drawing loud reactions from the studio audience. She looks back at those moments with discomfort, noting that the show was broad and lewd and likely would not be produced in the same way in today’s cultural climate.
Despite the personal toll the role took on her health, Applegate clarified that she holds no ill will toward her former colleagues. She acknowledged that while her character was designed to be an object for the male gaze, she was genuinely innocent of her impact on the audience at the time.
Christina Applegate has remained a beloved figure in Hollywood, most recently earning critical acclaim for her role as Jen Harding in the Netflix series Dead to Me. Although she has stepped away from traditional on-camera acting following her 2021 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, she has continued to connect with fans through her weekly podcast, MeSsy, which she co-hosts with friend Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
The podcast has become a vital platform for the actress to discuss the messiness of life, including the realities of living with a chronic illness and navigating the complexities of parenting. While a highly anticipated animated Married… with Children reboot was reportedly halted by the studio in late 2025, Applegate has kept her focus on her health and her family.
She recently shared that she is finding joy in smaller moments, such as the daily routine of driving her daughter to school. Her memoir, which covers everything from her childhood in Laurel Canyon to her recent health battles, is expected to be one of the most honest and raw celebrity biographies of the year.
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