Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Son Beau Breaks Down Over Her MS Struggles

Jamie-Lynn Sigler is openly discussing the impact of her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) on her son, Beau.

During the Tuesday, August 26, episode of the “MeSsy” podcast, the 44-year-old actress shared that her 12-year-old son had an emotional response to her illness after they watched the 1994 film Forrest Gump together.

“Beau is me. He cried when I cried, so I wasn’t surprised he got emotional. But once the movie finished, he buried his head in my chest and started sobbing,” explained the Sopranos alum. “I asked him, ‘What’s wrong, buddy?’ and he said, ‘I hate how much you suffer. I hate seeing you sick. I don’t like this happening to you.’”

Sigler confessed that she had “never considered that” aspect of her illness before.

“I take pride in the open relationship I have with Beau, and I feel I’ve created a space for him to express himself or discuss anything with me,” she said of her eldest son, whom she shares with husband Cutter Dykstra. (The couple also has a 7-year-old son, Jack.)

“I guess I took for granted that he’s only known me with MS, so he has just accepted this as my life,” Sigler, who was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder at 20, reflected. “I didn’t think about how hard this could be for him, the uncertainty of it, and the clear comparisons he now has of having a mother with a disability versus one without. It was both eye-opening and heartbreaking.”

As a mother of two, she expressed feeling “guilty” for not considering how challenging this situation could be for Beau.

“I’m so accustomed to managing my struggles daily. I suppose I didn’t realize he was noticing or caring about it,” she added. “We often assume our kids are selfish; I just didn’t expect that conversation, and it has truly stayed with me.”

Sigler first spoke about her MS journey in 2016, nearly 15 years after her diagnosis.

“I already had a successful career. Accepting it was tough,” she mentioned during a Fox News interview, explaining her decision to share her story was to provide comfort to others facing similar battles.

“Chronic illness can often make people feel isolated and alone, as if no one understands their struggles,” she said. “I wanted to be someone who could empathize, someone who could say, ‘I get it, I understand what you’re going through.’”

In 2023, Sigler exclusively shared with Us Weekly how her illness influences her parenting.

“I’m human. There are days when I wonder, ‘Would I have been a bit more patient if I wasn’t struggling physically?’ It prompts you to question everything in your life and affects all areas of it,” she explained. “However, when I tuck my kids into bed and witness our connection, I realize that bond remains unchanged regardless of my physical capabilities.”

Sigler added that Beau is an “empath” who comprehends her condition, while Jack sometimes struggles with it.

“[Beau is] very sensitive; if I apologize for not being able to do certain things or clarify my limitations, he always reassures me, ‘Oh, mom, I understand, no worries, it’s okay,’” she noted. “My younger one… he’s upset and doesn’t like it. He often compares what I can and cannot do to other moms, which is perfectly fine.”