Christina Applegate's Memoir Reveals She Rejected Brad Pitt for Rock Star Sebastian Bach
In a surprising revelation from her newly released memoir, actress Christina Applegate has disclosed that she once turned down Hollywood icon Brad Pitt in favour of an unlikely rock star. The 54-year-old star, best known for her role in Married With Children, details the incident in her book You with the Sad Eyes, which hit shelves on Tuesday.
The Fateful Night at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
Applegate, who was at the peak of her fame in the late 1980s, recalls inviting Brad Pitt, then 25 and not yet a global superstar, to accompany her to the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, where she was a presenter. However, her attention was swiftly captured by Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, then a 21-year-old "long-haired hunk" according to her account.
"I had spent all night staring at Bach," Applegate writes in an extract shared by Page Six. "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 Aftermath and Pitt's Reaction
The decision had immediate consequences. Pitt was left to "sullenly" drive Applegate's mother home after the event, nearly getting into a confrontation with gang members at a gas station along the way. "He didn't talk to me for many years," Applegate admits, noting that Pitt held a grudge that he later shared with two of his subsequent movie star girlfriends.
Applegate expresses regret over her choice, particularly after discovering that Bach was already in a relationship and had a one-year-old child at the time. "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," she reflects, adding wryly, "Of course, Brad is now THE Brad Pitt, and Sebastian Bach … well, he still has long hair, I guess."
Further Revelations from the Memoir
Beyond the Pitt anecdote, Applegate's memoir delves into other personal struggles and relationships:
- She reveals a longstanding infatuation with actor Johnny Depp, stating she was "in love" with him for years.
- Applegate details a lengthy, abusive relationship with an unnamed man who controlled her diet and wardrobe, prompting interventions from her mother and onscreen father Ed O'Neill.
- She shares her battle with anorexia and body dysmorphia during her Married With Children years, where she starved herself to fit into character costumes, sometimes eating as little as half a bagel per day.
- The actress discusses her 2021 multiple sclerosis diagnosis and reflects on her marriages to actor Johnathon Schaech and Dutch bassist Martyn LeNoble.
Applegate emphasises that her eating disorders were trauma-based and not the fault of the show's cast or crew, though the role exacerbated her mental health challenges. The memoir provides a candid look at the pressures of fame and personal resilience, offering insights far beyond the headline-grabbing Pitt revelation.
