Actress Selma Blair made headlines this week when she attended a post-Oscars party with an unusual accessory. To go with her Ralph & Russo mint green, powder blue and pink block gown, the Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde star turned heads as she walked with a monogrammed black cane which included a real pink diamond.
Blair suffers from multiple sclerosis, or MS, an incurable condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, creating problems such as double vision, partial blindness, muscle weakness, trouble with sensation and trouble with coordination.
She was diagnosed with MS in August 2018, and the Oscars were her first public event since announcing her diagnosis. Blair revealed that she had the condition in an Instagram post last October, writing, “I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best.”
“If I can help anyone be more comfortable in their skin, it’s more than I’ve ever done before,” Blair said to Vanity Fair magazine.
Blair has received widespread support and encouragement for being so vocal about her condition. Among celebrities who have reached out to Blair to offer their support are Marc Jacobs, who has a handbag named after the actress; Amy Schumer, whose father suffers from MS; and Kris Jenner, who sent Blair an extravagant flower arrangement.
Figures suggest that nearly one million people are living with MS in the United States. Many MS sufferers and family members of MS sufferers have taken to social media to voice their appreciation for the actress bringing such a debilitating condition to light.
As a person living with Multiple Sclerosis, I deeply appreciate how open @SelmaBlair has been with her disease.
I hope she continues and her clout will help bring more light to what so many live with. https://t.co/03RHZdySWh
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 25, 2019
my mum is all for me having a cane as a mobility aid after the oscars – this is why disabled representation both in real life people and characters in media is so important !!! normalise mobility aids !!! normalise disability !!!
Thank you @SelmaBlair
— sleepy niamh NIAMH DAY (@sunlitniamh) February 26, 2019
On Sunday at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, she told the magazine: “I really feel like people with disabilities are invisible to a lot of people.”
Looking ahead, Blair is interested in working with a fashion designer to create a line of clothes that are chic, yet also comfortable and able to be worn by those suffering from MS or other similar debilitating conditions.
She told Vanity Fair that one of her main complaints about MS is the lack of stylish clothing available to disabled people. It might sound frivolous, but to Blair, who has always used clothes as a form of self-expression, it is a matter of identity.
“I would like to partner with someone like Christian Siriano on a line for everyone—not just people who necessarily need adaptive clothing, but for those who want comfort, too. It can still be chic. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style. Like, let’s get elastic waistbands to look a little bit better.”
College News is all for it.
See also: Highlights from the 2019 Oscars