Is Jake Lloyd OK? 'Star Wars' actor in mental health facility after full-blown psychotic breakdown
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'Star Wars' child actor Jake Lloyd, who has now turned 35, has been receiving mental treatment for the past 10 months. According to reports, he was admitted to a mental health facility after experiencing a psychotic breakdown.
During a drive home with his mother from a McDonald's run, Jake expressed a desire to shut down the car in the middle of a three-lane road. "He said he wanted to turn the car off. And he turned the car off in the middle of the three lanes, and we were in the middle lane. There was a lot of yelling and screaming," said Jake's mother, Lisa Lloyd, to Scripps News.
Due to the traffic jam caused by Jake's actions, people began calling 911. When the officers arrived, they started asking questions. "He was talking to them, but none of it made sense. It was all word salad," said his mother.
The incident occurred in March 2023, and instead of taking Jake to jail, the officers had him admitted to a hospital. He was later transferred to an inpatient program at a mental rehabilitation center.
Jake's mental health program is scheduled for 18 months, and he has completed 10 months as of now. "He’s doing much better than I expected. 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," said his mother.
'Star Wars' child star Jake Lloyd was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2008
"Ever since appearing in 'Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace,' Jake's life has been out of the spotlight. This is largely due to his schizophrenia.
Jake began experiencing difficulties during high school. His mother claimed that he would talk about "realities," expressing uncertainty about whether he was in the current reality or another one. Initially, doctors suspected Jake might have bipolar disorder. However, even after medication and treatment, nothing seemed to improve. When Jake entered college, his condition began to worsen.
According to Jake's mother, "Jake would sometimes mention seeing people with black eyes staring at him on the street and having late-night conversations with 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart through his TV. He didn't tell us he was hearing voices at the time, but he was."
In 2008, when Jake left college, a series of appointments with therapists and psychiatrists led to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia." These adjustments enhance the clarity and flow of the passage while maintaining the overall narrative.
Why was 'Star Wars' star Jake Lloyd arrested in 2015?
After several months of medication, Jake decided to stop taking his prescribed medications and occasionally self-medicate with illicit drugs. In 2015, Jake was arrested and faced multiple charges after leading the Colleton County Sheriff on a chase before crashing his car.
Lisa attempted to explain to the officers that Jake was not taking his medication, and that his actions were a consequence of this, but they refused to understand. She even hired an attorney to secure her son's release from jail, but Jake refused to communicate with her. "I tried calling him, but he wouldn't talk to me. He just flat-out refused," she said.
Why did 'Star Wars' star Jake Lloyd retire?
Jake officially retired from acting in 2001 when he was just 12 years old. According to reports, his retirement came after Jake experienced 'intense bullying' at school following his portrayal as Anakin Skywalker. Jake began his acting career in 1996 and appeared in several TV shows. He was featured in 'Apollo 11,' 'Unhook the Stars,' and 'Jingle All the Way.'