You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir

By Christina Applegate

Book Overview

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Funny, furious, and profane." --The New York Times

"Not your typical celebrity memoir." --Jimmy Kimmel

Unflinchingly honest and darkly funny, You with the Sad Eyes unveils a side of Christina Applegate we've never seen, forever cementing her formidable and iconoclastic legacy.

Christina Applegate came of age on sets and stages, expected to be on time, with lines learned, ready for lights-camera-action. What started as a financial necessity soon became an emotional escape from a tumultuous home life in the infamous Laurel Canyon scene of the 70s and 80s. She rocketed to stardom on the sitcom Married...with Children and went on to captivate audiences in classics like Don't Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead..., Anchorman, and Dead to Me in her five-decade long career.

Then it all stopped. A Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2021 confined her to a king-sized bed and the company of memories she'd rather forget: memories of the self-doubt and body dysmorphia that stalked her meteoric rise, of her mother's fight against addiction and abuse after her father left, and of the tax life had taken on her body and mind that was suddenly coming due.

Now, at her most intimate and vulnerable, she unveils a story not even those closest to her fully know. She returns to the diaries she kept her whole life, finding the pain matched by joy, the losses mitigated by the extraordinary, and the weight of life lifted by her unrelenting belief that something greater lay ahead. No longer willing to lock herself away and with the perspective only our own mortality can bring, she knew it was imperative to tell it all.

You with the Sad Eyes presents a remarkable woman and her legacy. In her own words, "I truly believe that books can make people feel less alone. That's why I'm doing this. You with the Sad Eyes won't be some big violin scratching for my life. But it will be real. It will be filled with the ups and downs, the humor and grief of life.

So here I am.

Real me.

Lots to say."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031659492X
• ISBN13: 9780316594929
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

4 stars

YOU WITH THE SAD EYES by Christina Applegate Equal parts sad, sarcastic, honest and borderline bitter Applegate shares an intimate look into pivotal events of her life and career. She doesn’t hold back and at times it felt like trauma dumping. The highs were high and the lows were oof. But through it all, she maintains her humor. Applegate states she has kept a diary since she was a child. In this are snippets of her entries over the years from her early years to present day. I can only imagine her collection of journals! What a treasure to leave for her daughter. Reading this has re-inspired me to keep up with my own journal. I listened to the audiobook and it might not be for everyone. Applegate does not hold back her emotions, and at times her delivery was jarring. Regardless, I enjoyed getting to know her better, and if you’re a fan I think you will too. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

A good read. Not great.

Almost 200 pgs. She only talked fully about her M.S for 20 pgs. 1 step forward, 2 backwards it seems.Self esteem issues evident through her dairies & loser b.friends. A Warrior. Brave. Doesn't mince words!