Selma Blair says she was ‘told to make plans for dying’ in new documentary about battle with MS

Actress says: ‘I hope the film shows that MS varies, that people’s strengths and weaknesses vary’

Selma Blair has revealed she was “told to make plans for dying” in her upcoming documentary detailing her battle with multiple sclerosis.

The actress, who publicly shared her diagnosis with MS in October 2018, after being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease a few months prior, offers insight into her health struggles in the upcoming Discovery+ documentary Introducing, Selma Blair.

According to Vanity Fair, which viewed the first trailer for the new documentary, the film follows Blair as she undergoes a risky stem cell transplant to treat the disease, a procedure the actress elected to try after numerous other treatments proved ineffective.

The 2019 procedure, which saw the Legally Blonde star undergo chemotherapy to break down her immune system, and then isolate in the hospital for weeks after the transplant, is captured from beginning to end by filmmaker Rachel Fleit, who told Vanity Fair watching the transplant as she filmed it on her iPhone was “one of the five most extraordinary moments in my life”.

The upcoming film also captures candid moments such as when Blair’s nine-year-old son Arthur Saint Bleick helps her shave her head and of the pair spending quality time together, while also featuring various glimpses into her time in the hospital.

In the trailer, Blair says: “I was told to make plans for dying, not because I have MS, cause I’m fighting MS.”

Speaking to Vanity Fair about the decision to share all of her difficult moments in the documentary, the 49-year-old said: “I had the conviction of thinking I had something to share. You keep opening windows or closing doors and finding tools. I hope my little life gives someone who needs it some hope or a laugh or more awareness of ourselves. I hope the film shows that MS varies. That people’s strengths and weaknesses vary. All the emotions of life make healing variable too. For all of us.”

The actress also finds humour in her diagnosis and her role in the film, describing it as her first “real starring ‘role,’” before joking that her “beloved” mother would be “horrified how I let myself go in front of the camera”.

“‘Abhorrent!’ she would say,” Blair claimed her mother’s reaction to the unedited moments would be.

According to Fleit, there were moments while filming that were “extremely frightening,” such as when Blair “said to me she could not control her body” or when she had a medical emergency.

However, according to the filmmaker, Blair also found a way to “grow more at peace” with her diagnosis, and “embrace herself and embrace her life” throughout filming, with Fleit, who also has an autoimmune disorder, telling Vanity Fair that her goal had been to “show a different way of being in the world”.

“My objective was to show a different way of being in the world, but also to show a woman who fully embraces herself. That, to me, is the most inspiring thing - because it kind of just feels like that’s all we’ve got. We’re born into this body, and this is the one we have. What are we going to do?” she said.

Fleit also said Blair’s transformation from supporting actress to “leading lady” is clear, as the actress embraced the opportunity to use her platform to share her own experience and subsequently inspire others.

“She finds a whole new purpose in her life; she fully embraces herself. Now she inspires millions. She has an enormous platform on social media…. We see it [in the film] so clearly - she’s just such a star,” Fleit said.

In the trailer, Blair says that she has been “given a second chance at life,” before acknowledging her difficulty trusting in “the process”.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t judge the process, and I’m judging the process. Everything beautiful that I’ve known, that I’ve encouraged other people, will it be true for me too?” she says.

This is not the first time that Blair has candidly discussed her life with the autoimmune disease, as she frequently offers insight into her health struggles on Instagram.

In February 2020, the actress revealed that the disease had left her feeling “alone, vulnerable and scared,” while also concerned for her “future as a single mom”.

“I’m not dying any more than anyone [else],” Blair continued at the time. “I am just hurting. It feels like I am just breaking down. So there’s a truth to give to anyone else feeling this way. It’s just miserable. And scary. To feel unwell. I am so sorry.”

Introducing, Selma Blair will begin streaming on Discovery+ on 21 October.