Jake Lloyd, former child star of Star Wars, is currently receiving treatment in a mental health facility after having a psychotic break in March last year, his mother has confirmed.
Jake, famous for his role as Anakin Skywalker in Episode I – The Phantom Menace, was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2008.
However, his mum revealed that he suffered a break last year, which required him to be admitted to hospital for treatment and support.
His mum, Lisa, opened up about the worrying episode in an interview where she said her son was “yelling and screaming”, to such an extent that they needed police help.
Now aged 35, the actor was taken to hospital on that day and later moved to an inpatient program at a mental health center.
Lisa detailed the events of March 2023 to Scripps News, describing: “There was a lot of yelling and screaming”.
She explained that Jake’s breakdown occurred when they were driving back from McDonald’s and the situation escalated when he wanted the car turned off and became agitated, ending up disabling the vehicle whilst in the middle lane of a three-lane road.
Holding up the traffic around him, other drivers contacted the authorities as Lisa elaborated: “The police got there, and they asked Jake some questions. He was talking to them, but none of it made sense. It was all word salad.”
After being hospitalised, Jake was then moved to a health centre where he’s predicted to remain for one-and-a-half years.
Ten months in, and Lisa reported that her son is getting better, saying: “He is relating to people better and becoming a little bit more social, which is really nice.
“It’s kind of like having more of the old Jake back, because he has always been incredibly social until he became schizophrenic.”
Identified with schizophrenia in 2008, Jake struggled in school due to difficulties distinguishing ‘realities’ from actual life.
At first considered bipolar, Jake grappled with medication that didn’t seem to help, leading to his updated diagnosis in 2008.
Jake’s battle with mental health includes an event in 2015 where a police chase resulted in him spending almost a year behind bars after a car crash.
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