When you spend over a decade acting alongside someone, you build something that doesn’t fade when the credits roll. That’s the bond between David Faustino and Christina Applegate—a connection forged on the set of Married … With Children that has only deepened as life threw its hardest punches.
On Tuesday, June 9, the 52-year-old actor opened up about watching his former TV sister navigate life with multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis Applegate received in 2021. And what struck Faustino most wasn’t pity or awkwardness—it was her refusal to let the disease define her spirit.“It’s extremely difficult for me to understand having a debilitating disease,”he told Us Weekly while promoting his Bundy Club special event with Ed O’Neill.“I can’t. I don’t know what that’s like. I can only go from her experience and what she’s told me.”
That honesty matters. Faustino isn’t pretending to know what it’s like to live with MS—he’s just showing up. And according to him, Applegate, 54, meets him halfway with the same dry, sarcastic humor she’s wielded since they first met as teenagers.“Nothing has changed,”he said.“She gets through this with some humor, and that’s kind of her way that she moves through it.”Those visits, texts, and check-ins aren’t just surface-level support; they’re a lifeline built on shared history and genuine affection.
What’s remarkable here is how the Married … With Children family has rallied. Faustino and Katey Sagal showed up for Applegate’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in November 2022. Faustino’s been a regular at the annual Race to Erase MS Gala. These aren’t token appearances—they’re acts of sustained solidarity. In a celebrity landscape where friendships often evaporate once the show wraps, this crew stayed put.
Applegate has been refreshingly open about her health journey, including a recent hospitalization in April that prompted her to share an Instagram update:“Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day.”That’s not denial—it’s clarity. And it’s the kind of clarity that only works when you’ve got people like Faustino in your corner, ready to laugh alongside you when things get dark, and sit in the real stuff when they need to.
The Bundy Club—Faustino’s members-only podcast—is hosting a live Zoom event on Thursday, June 11, at 9 p.m. ET with O’Neill as guest. It’s a chance for fans to see these actors in a completely different light than before. More than nostalgia, it feels like a quiet testament to what endures when you build something authentic, on camera or off.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.