Selma Blair opens out about her alcoholism and MS in an interview with Savannah Guthrie
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Selma Blair established herself as one of Hollywood’s most promising young supporting performers thanks to her performances in blockbuster films like “Cruel Intentions” and “Legally Blonde.” However, Blair has found it challenging to get work in recent years.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system, and in 2018 Blair confirmed she had been diagnosed with it. Blair’s inability to walk, communicate, write, and do his illness exacerbated daily tasks. Her illness was made public by her disclosure.
Now, director Rachel Fleit‘s new documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair” follows Blair as she undergoes an unproven and potentially life-threatening stem cell transplant. Actress Selma Blair released a book about overcoming adversity a year after opening out about her struggle with MS in a documentary.
“Mean Baby,” Blair’s new memoir and debut book, delves into the actor’s dark past. She recalls how she was sexually abused by a teacher when she was young, how by the age of seven, she was hiding out in the bottom of booze bottles, and how by the age of fourteen, she was experiencing physical agony that she now believes may have been the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
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Blair said to TODAY host Savannah Guthrie, “My first (time) drunk (was) when I was 7. I had my first drinks much younger,” The interview aired on Wednesday and may be seen below. She admitted that she was a heavy drinker all through her formative years.
Maybe it was easier. Perhaps I would not have made it without a drink. It was tough. Blair also discusses the persistent physical discomfort and strange feelings she is had to deal with since early childhood in her book.
Blair described the symptoms she was having at the time as “so many things that were so indicative of MS.”Initially, the medical staff suspected that I was suffering from leukemia.I had a high fever that never went away, yet I did not feel any better..
There was a link between my illnesses as a kid and those I have now. By the time I turned 23, I knew without a doubt that I had it. It has been there for a very long time, for sure.
Blair overcame her alcoholism and poor health to succeed. At the age of 26, she had begun to attract attention as an actress in the film Brown’s Requiem, and her subsequent appearances in the box office hit Cruel Intentions, and Legally Blonde propelled her to superstardom. Still, she had to fight off horrible monsters from within.
The actor reflected on her lifelong struggle with alcoholism in her autobiography, writing, “the desire to drink as much as I could, as often as I could, stayed with me and did not let go for more than 20 years.” Blair revealed to Savannah that her attraction to drinking stemmed from a need to numb herself to the memory of many horrific events.
Blair mentions being raped multiple times throughout her life in her autobiography. I drank these to put my memories out of my mind. I did not drink to get rid of my problems; I drank to forget them,” she explains. Blair continued by telling Savannah that the experience of writing “Mean Baby” helped “kick her gears” into realizing that she was a victim.
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Please put it on the ground and forget about it. You do,” she said. “To have these things happen and to carry that shame in your cells is a big deal.” In her memoir, Blair describes how, at her lowest points, she attempted suicide twice. However, with the help of her loved ones, she rebuilt her self-esteem and is now reclaiming her life.
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The actor claims she has not had alcohol since 2016, following an incident in which she passed out on a plane while her kid (then age 4) was with her. After landing, she was placed on a stretcher and removed from the plane.
She told Savannah, “The thing that made me really stop drinking was that I could have died on that plane.” “I guess it is changed for the better now that I am a mom.”
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In an effort to alleviate Blair’s multiple sclerosis symptoms, she has received both chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. A longtime hobby of hers, horseback riding, is now being revisited.
Blair continued by saying, “The pain is still there.” Despite being in remission, I was able to avoid forming any new lesions. I am fine with the fact that there is still some brain damage and stuff hanging around here and there. I am thankful since my health has improved dramatically.
