While the Academy was giving out its last few awards for the 2019 Oscars, Selma Blair was creating her own inspirational movie moment. Back in October, the actress revealed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but she triumphantly stepped into the spotlight on Sunday evening.
"I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least," she wrote back when she revealed the diagnosis. "And I am relieved to at least know."
MS results in nerve damage, which requires Blair to use a cane. On Sunday night, she turned that tool into a statement as she stepped out onto the Vanity Fair party carpet with a customized cane that coordinated perfectly with her outfit.
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"This is love ?. @tombachikcustomizing my cane with my monogram and a real pink #diamond. How did I get so lucky?" Blair wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the cane getting customized. "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. 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."
This is Blair's first red carpet appearance since her diagnosis, and she's proving that MS is no match for her determination. The moment was fervently documented on Twitter, as well as in a stunning portrait for Vanity Fair itself. Attendees documented the actress proudly posing with her cane, sending a message of determination and power while taking ownership of her body despite the diagnosis.
The moment we will all be talking about tomorrow is the courageous #SelmaBlair, making her first appearance since announcing her MS diagnosis, at the VF Oscar party. She needs a cane to help walk, but she came to prove that no matter how tough this disease, she is a fighter. ? pic.twitter.com/bCTo0hA59d
— Jessica Radloff (@JRadloff) February 25, 2019
“I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things,” Blair continued on Instagram back in October. “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.”
And she will do it with style.