Selma Blair has revealed that older male doctors dismissed her early multiple sclerosis symptoms as menstrual issues, with one suggesting she might benefit from finding a boyfriend. The 51-year-old actress discussed her lengthy struggle to obtain a correct diagnosis during an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC's Meet the Press, broadcast on 26 November.
Blair, best known for her roles in Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, said the long delay in identifying her condition was likely due to doctors who "really probably did not know the intricacies of a girl". She recalled one medical professional telling her she "needed a boyfriend" after she sought help for chronic pain. "I just cried," she said. "I had no capability to process: 'What am I supposed to do with this information?'"
The actor explained that she had experienced signs of MS since childhood, including optical neuritis at age seven, which is typically associated with brain trauma or MS. However, she said doctors failed to recognise the condition, leading to what she described as "so much medical trauma". Blair also highlighted what she called "gender bias" in medicine, recounting how a boy in her class with the same symptoms received surgery and an MRI within a week, while she was dismissed as "just dramatic".
Blair said she was placed on strong antidepressants from a young age and turned to alcohol because she felt "so other". She has since explained that her symptoms included hysterical crying and laughing due to prefrontal damage, which were originally mistaken for emotional mood swings.
In October 2018, Blair publicly announced her MS diagnosis. She later underwent a risky stem cell transplant, documented in the 2021 Discovery+ film Introducing, Selma Blair. In August 2021, she revealed that the treatment had put her condition into remission.
