In her new memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, Christina Applegate shares intimate details of her personal life, including the reason she ended her relationship with Brad Pitt. The actress, now 54, explains how she left Pitt for Sebastian Bach, the lead singer of the metal band Skid Row, during the 1989 MTV Movie Awards. This candid revelation highlights a tumultuous period in her youth, shedding light on her body image challenges and career doubts as she wrestled with fame and identity.
Dumping Brad Pitt for Rocker Sebastian Bach
At 17, Applegate was captivated by Sebastian Bach’s long-haired charisma at the MTV Movie Awards, leading her to break up with Brad Pitt, who had not yet become the Hollywood star he is today. Reflecting on that night, she writes,
I had spent all night staring at Bach, who was then a long-haired hunk fronting the band Skid Row.
Applegate adds,
I hate to put it like this, but Brad back then was still making his way as an actor, and he wasn’t yet THE Brad Pitt, the man of so many people’s dreams.
The fallout was difficult—Pitt had to drive Applegate’s mother home and nearly got into a fight with gang members at a gas station on the way. Applegate recounts,
And it gets worse: Brad was left to sullenly drive my mom … home. Apparently, at a gas station on the way, Brad almost got into a fight with a bunch of gang members, and, not surprisingly, was subsequently very mad at me.
Her decision was quickly regretted, especially after learning Bach had a partner and a young child, while Pitt stopped talking to her for years. She later reflects,
Eventually, we agreed that I’d been a kid, and though he deserved much better, it was time to forgive the child who dumped him for the lead singer of Skid Row,
and concludes with a wry comment,
Of course, Brad is now THE Brad Pitt, and Sebastian Bach … well, he still has long hair, I guess.
Ongoing Battle with Multiple Sclerosis
In June 2021, Applegate disclosed her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune disease she continues to confront. Her memoir describes the difficult, sometimes unbearable pain that has evolved over time. She writes,
I wish I could say that I am a miracle,
and explains,
Though most days it’s very hard to believe, and in any case, I don’t want to minimize what this disease does to a human body and soul. The pain I felt initially was not like it is these days. Back then, it was more of an I‐have‐no‐strength kind of pain, rather than the often excruciating agony I’m in now.
Despite her public strength, Applegate admits she has not fully come to terms with her illness. During an interview on Good Morning America, she revealed,
Where am I at with acceptance? Not at all. I hate it. But, I wake up every day and go, ‘I’m Sadie’s momma,’
showing how motherhood anchors her amid personal hardship.
Early Career and Enduring Body Image Issues
Beyond her romantic history, Applegate reveals she almost rejected the iconic role of Kelly Bundy on Married With Children, a part that launched her fame. She also details the impact of her mother Nancy Priddy’s advice to consider thigh liposuction as a teenager, which exacerbated lifelong struggles with body image. These experiences complicated her rise in Hollywood, adding tension and frustration during formative years when self-doubt loomed large.
Recent Work and Public Appearances
Applegate’s most recent acting credit was in the Netflix series Dead to Me, which released its final season in November 2022. She returned to the public eye in 2024, presenting at the Emmy Awards and promoting her memoir on shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live. Her openness about her personal battles and regrets adds a layer of depth to her public persona, inviting empathy and awareness about chronic illness and the challenges of growing up in the spotlight.
