Despite all of the roadblocks, Selma Blair is moving onward.
Four years ago, the actor revealed to the world that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Shortly after, at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2019, she took another big step on her road to healing — she walked the red carpet with a special monogrammed cane, knowing that all eyes would be on her.
In a recent interview with Savannah Guthrie that aired on TODAY Tuesday, the actor detailed what it was like to capture public attention that day on the red carpet in a bid to spotlight the millions of people across the globe who live with MS, as reported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
“That was really a coming out party for me because I know it meant something to other people, and certainly to people with more radical disabilities to see ‘oh, right. This world is ours, too,’” Blair told Savannah.
Blair’s appearance on the red carpet made headlines for its emotional display of the actor's strength. The “Cruel Intentions” star stopped to pose for photographers, elegantly tossing her black, light pink, mint green and blue gown for pictures.
She also used the support of a custom patent leather cane that featured her monogram, which she credited to manicurist Tom Bachik.
“I wanted a special cane for #vanityfair dinner. So... @lyon_hearted went out and found patent leather and @bic_owen and he stitched it on,” Blair captioned her post. “Hours of love put in. And then #tombachick made it especially magical. I burst into tears. These gifts to get me through. #subtle #chic #love. I can’t thank these three enough. There are angels.”
Today, Blair is working hard to show the world that people with disabilities exist and have a right to be active and take part in all of life's ups and downs with dignity. The actor’s upcoming memoir, “Mean Baby,” examines these oscillations and aptly underlines in one passage that while painful, her “disease is not a tragedy.”
Reflecting on the lessons her debut novel has taught her, Blair explained to Savannah that she hopes her son will read her words and understand that there is no shame in having setbacks and taking the time to overcome them.
“I hope (my son) sees that when you have something that could potentially be a real setback in time, set yourself up to recover,” she said. “I don’t want him to feel ashamed or too scared that he can’t move forward. I am so grateful that I’m moving forward because I did not want to my whole life.”
