Topic / Subject
Christina Applegate says she was sexually abused by a babysitter when she was 5 years old, sharing the experience in her upcoming memoir, “You With the Sad Eyes.”

TL;DR
Applegate is putting a deeply painful childhood experience on the record for the first time in her memoir, saying writing about it reopened wounds, but she hopes it helps other survivors feel less alone.

Key Details

• Applegate says a female babysitter sexually abused her when she was 5.
• The disclosure appears in her memoir “You With the Sad Eyes,” with coverage citing excerpts and interview reporting.
• She says revisiting it while writing the book “opened up” wounds, but she wants sharing to be empowering for others.

Breakdown
This is a devastating, personal reveal from a star people have watched for decades — and it’s being presented as Applegate choosing to name something she carried quietly for a long time.

The reporting frames her motive as bigger than “headline shock.” It’s about putting language to what happened, acknowledging how it shaped her, and making space for others who’ve lived through similar trauma.

Because this is tied to a memoir release, the public conversation will likely keep building as more excerpts/interview clips roll out — and as readers react to her choosing to share it now.

What to Watch Next

• More memoir excerpts and interview moments that add context to how she’s framing this chapter of her life.
• How Applegate talks about the balance between privacy and purpose as the book rollout continues.

Sources
Entertainment Weekly — Christina Applegate says she was abused by a babysitter as a child
People — Christina Applegate Says She Survived Molestation and Abuse in Childhood
E! News — Christina Applegate on Experiencing Childhood Sexual Abuse

Comment
When actors share traumatic stories in memoirs, do you read it for understanding — or do you prefer to keep that part of their life private?