Christina Applegate has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of her life, revealing that she had an abortion at the age of 19 while in a deeply troubled relationship.
The 54 year old actress shared the emotional story in her new memoir You With the Sad Eyes: A Memoir, where she reflects on discovering she was pregnant in April 1991 during a relationship she now describes as abusive.
“In late April 1991, I got pregnant,” Applegate writes, according to excerpts shared with People. She admits that the memories are still extremely painful and difficult to revisit.
Instead of trying to reinterpret the experience years later, the Dead to Me star chose to include raw entries from her teenage journals in the book. Those notes capture the shock, fear, and overwhelming emotions she felt at the time.
In one entry from 1991, Applegate describes being flooded with emotions after learning she was pregnant. She also reflected on the unhealthy relationship she was in at the time.
“I don’t understand my relationship anymore. It’s not good,” she wrote in the diary.
Applegate explains in the memoir that she had been in a long relationship with a man she chose not to identify, whom she says was physically and emotionally abusive and controlled aspects of her life, including what she wore and what she ate.
Her mother repeatedly urged her to leave the relationship and get away from him.
According to the actress, the situation escalated quickly after the pregnancy was discovered, and within 24 hours the already fragile relationship took what she described as a brutal turn.
Facing fear, pressure, and emotional turmoil, Applegate decided to terminate the pregnancy.
In one of her most heartbreaking journal entries from that time, she wrote about the pain and conflict she felt while preparing for the procedure.
Today, Applegate is the mother of a 15 year old daughter, Sadie. In her memoir, she also reflects on the physical and emotional aftermath of the experience, offering a deeply personal look at how the decision shaped her life.
By sharing these intimate memories, Applegate hopes to shed light on the complex realities many women face and the lasting emotional impact such experiences can carry.
