The Young and the Restless spoilers has some sad health news to report about a former star of Y&R. Clementine Ford, who portrayed Mackenzie Browning on the CBS soap from 2009-2010, recently posted a message on Instagram about her struggle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disabling disease of the central nervous system.
Clementine posted a graphic/photo reading “they told me not to,” and her message indicates that she was first diagnosed with MS while working on Y&R. “I was terrified of people finding out and of losing my job (I hated that job, but that’s another story)…I was lucky to work with some of the kindest, warmest, most caring people who took it in stride and opened their arms. And some who…didn’t. I didn’t tell producers or execs: see above.”
In the message, Clementine also describes her ambivalence with going public and her decision to finally express her feelings regarding her diagnosis. “I was torn,” she writes, “I felt like I needed to share what was happening to me as it was happening…Finally, I hit the limit of what I could hold. I reached out, I discussed, I wrote, but then someone, someone actually famous, not just adjacent, went public with her MS and any interest in me petered.”
Clearly, Clementine has struggled with the issue of disclosing her diagnosis, and this Instagram post offers a glimpse into that struggle. But something in her decided to share her situation with her fans. As she describes: “Then waiting to pick Eli [her son] up from school, I thought ‘what do I have to lose?’ The answer? Nothing. And here we are.”
Clementine has also posted a short video of herself on her Instagram page announcing her diagnosis and stating that she’s made the announcement because she’s tired of not being able to publicly discuss it.
In addition to portraying Mackenzie Browning on Y&R, Clementine portrayed Molly Kroll on Showtime’s The L Word from 2007-2009 and has appeared in several feature films. She is married to Cyrus Wilcox and is the daughter of Cybill Shepherd and David Ford.
Our thoughts and well wishes are with Clementine. Stay tuned to the CBS soap and don’t forget to check CDL often for the latest Young and the Restless spoilers, updates, and news