Christina Applegate’s memoir goes to Headline
Headline has acquired You with the Sad Eyes, a memoir by actor Christina Applegate. Yvonne Jacob, deputy publishing director of Headline Non-Fiction, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Laura Mamelok at Little, Brown US. Publication is scheduled for 3rd March 2026.
The publisher said Applegate’s “raw and darkly funny memoir illuminates the life of childhood star turned iconic comedic actress, turned tenacious example of how to find the beauty in our messy lives”.
“Her life experiences have proven that Applegate is a survivor. By working through her legacy on the page, she invites readers to take her hand and hear a story not even those closest to her know fully,” Headline continued. “In You with the Sad Eyes, Applegate will unveil the full story of her years in the public eye, and the painful moments the public didn’t see – abuse, abandonment, insecurities, self-doubt, body dysmorphia, assault.”
It continued: “The experiences in this devastating journey eventually lead to hope: the pain matched by joy, the losses mitigated by the extraordinary, the weight of life lifted by Applegate’s signature comedic genius. You with the Sad Eyes boldly presents a formidable woman who has had to let go of her acting career, her ability to dance, her physical power and former sense of self, but has always fought to find a new and even more fulfilling way of being.”
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Jacob said: “You with the Sad Eyes captures not only the arc of an extraordinary career in Hollywood, but the grit, grace and humanity of someone who’s faced life’s hardest moments with remarkable courage. We’re delighted to be part of the team helping to share Christina’s story with the world.”
Applegate, who has starred in Friends, Jesse, Samantha Who?, Dead to Me and in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, said: “‘I decided to write this book when I was forced to slow down. I’ve had a career in TV and film since I was three years old, and I loved it. But with MS, all the things I thought were important shifted. For a long time, it felt impossible to find the meaning in everything I’ve been through, but for the first time in my life I’ve been able to stop and reflect.
“I’ve packed a lot into these 50-something years. It’s scary, not gonna lie, to finally decide to tell it all. But no matter how dark it gets, I wrote this because I truly believe that books can make people feel less alone. I promise, 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 humour and grief of life. So here I am. Real me. Lots to say.”
