Selma Blair says she’s building ‘stamina’ and feels ‘confident’ about her Hollywood return amid MS battle

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Selma Blair is opening up about the challenges she faces while managing multiple sclerosis (MS), revealing that pushing herself too hard on set can lead to speech "glitches" and shakiness. Despite these struggles, she remains confident as she returns to Hollywood.

The actress was diagnosed with MS at 42, in 2018, though her condition had gone undiagnosed for 40 years. She first experienced symptoms at 7 but was dismissed as "crazy" and an "attention seeker," as per People.

Selma Blair says she is 'feeling more confident' to return to set

Selma Blair has been working on regaining her strength amid her return to the set. She shared that she has been relapse-free and is now feeling more assured. 

Notably, Blair has multiple projects in the works including the war drama 'Stay Forte', the supernatural thriller 'Silent' and the film 'There There'.

“I am building stamina and because I have some real-time being relapse-free, I am feeling more confident to be back on set,” Blair, who is now 52, told Us Weekly.

She was promoting her partnership with EMD Serono for Express4MS. “I didn’t think that was something I would even want to do," she added.

Selma Blair reveals she takes breaks to avoid speech 'glitches'

Selma Blair shared that while she has “built” some stamina, she still needs to pace herself and take breaks when necessary as overexertion can affect her ability to speak clearly.

She has developed coping mechanisms to help maintain her performance on set. “I do take myself off of the set and I get in the trailer and I decompress and I meditate for a moment and recenter myself,” Blair said.

“If I keep pushing, I will get a little shaky. I will have some glitches with my speech," she admitted.

She acknowledged that it is “normal” to experience the “after effects” of pushing herself too hard, but her main priority is avoiding relapse as currently she's “relapse-free.”

Selma Blair's MS remission and how she's coping with it

Selma Blair first got sober in 2016 and shortly after she was diagnosed with MS and went into remission in 2021.

Providing an update she revealed on 'Today' show on February 6, "A few years ago, I didn't think I'd be here..."

While Blair has since been adapting to life with MS she said, “It’s been a long time of learning a new normal,” but added, "I'm doing really great."

In November 2023, Blair told 'Meet the Press' host Kristen Welker that she is “doing better every day” but still experiences "pain every day."

“I have dystonia, also, that really doesn’t always flare up for entire conversations, but it’s almost like someone with a stutter maybe, or a type of Tourette’s,” Blair said in the interview.

“So things go in and out. People don’t always understand that.”

Dystonia is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a movement disorder that causes muscles to involuntarily contract, leading to repetitive or twisting movements.

“So there can be a lot of discrimination and confusion I think with people thinking I’m putting something on,” Blair said. “But the real fact is I really am in pain all the time.”