Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler has spoken candidly about living with multiple sclerosis for more than two decades while keeping her diagnosis hidden from the public and much of the entertainment industry. In a recent interview, Sigler discussed how fear of losing her career drove her to conceal her condition, a secret she carried until publicly revealing her diagnosis in 2016—15 years after she was first diagnosed.
Sigler was 20 years old when she received her MS diagnosis in 2001. At the time, she was starring in the HBO series The Sopranos, just as her acting career was gaining momentum. The timing of her diagnosis coincided with what should have been the peak of her professional life, making the decision to keep it private feel necessary for survival in a competitive industry.
Background
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that damages the myelin sheath, the protective covering around nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This damage slows down or blocks messages between the brain and the body, leading to a range of symptoms. Sigler was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, a form of the disease characterized by symptom flare-ups followed by periods of recovery.
Sigler's symptoms first appeared in 2000 while she was filming in New Jersey. She experienced paralysis from the waist down for several days, an episode that was initially misdiagnosed as Lyme disease. Two years later, after experiencing heaviness and tingling in her legs, problems with bladder control, and other neurological symptoms, she sought medical attention. A lumbar puncture and MRI confirmed what doctors had missed years earlier: she had multiple sclerosis.
At 20 years old, Sigler struggled to accept the diagnosis. She was in denial and worried about becoming wheelchair-bound. Though prescribed injectable medication, she later admitted she wasn't consistent with her treatment regimen, stopping her medication for several years.
Key Details
The Cost of Secrecy
Sigler made the decision to keep her diagnosis secret after receiving advice from someone in the entertainment industry. According to her account, she was told that having MS would limit her acting career and that people would not hire her. Being young and at a vulnerable point in her career, she took that advice seriously.
Hiding her condition came with significant emotional consequences. Sigler has described feeling confused, isolated, and depressed during the years she kept her MS private. While working on film and television sets, she often had to sit down between takes to recharge. When she experienced muscle weakness or numbness, she would blame it on a bad back rather than acknowledge her actual condition.
"I was told having MS would limit my acting career and people wouldn't hire me. And because I was so young, I took that advice to heart."
Stress appeared to trigger flare-ups in her symptoms. During her divorce from her first husband, A.J. DiScala, in 2006, Sigler experienced worsening symptoms including weakness on her right side, balance problems, and bladder issues.
Life After Going Public
When Sigler publicly revealed her diagnosis in January 2016, she had been living with MS for 15 years. Her decision to come forward marked a turning point. She has since described the experience as liberating, saying it freed her from the burden of secrecy and self-consciousness.
Contrary to her initial fears, Sigler's career did not suffer after her disclosure. She has continued to work consistently, appearing in films and television shows including Loserville, the Western Justice, and TV series such as CSI-Cyber and Baby Daddy. More recently, she has taken on roles that directly address her condition, including a guest spot on Grey's Anatomy as a doctor with multiple sclerosis.
Sigler has also become more vocal about MS awareness. She co-hosts the podcast MeSsy with actress Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with MS in 2021. Through this platform, the two women discuss their experiences living with the disease.
What This Means
Sigler's story highlights the stigma that still surrounds chronic illnesses in the entertainment industry and beyond. Her experience of being advised to hide her diagnosis reflects broader concerns about disability discrimination in workplaces, particularly in fields where appearance and physical ability are perceived as central to success.
The contrast between Sigler's fears and her actual experience also offers a different perspective. She has found that openness about her condition did not derail her career as she was warned it would. Instead, she has used her platform to educate others about MS and challenge misconceptions about what people with chronic illnesses can accomplish.
Sigler's willingness to speak publicly about her diagnosis has also helped raise awareness about MS itself. Her son's hospitalization with an autoimmune condition in 2024 further demonstrated her commitment to discussing health issues that affect her family.
Today, Sigler continues to manage her relapsing-remitting MS while maintaining an active career. Her journey from hiding her diagnosis to speaking openly about it reflects a broader cultural shift toward greater acceptance and discussion of chronic illness in public life.
