Lisa Lloyd, mother of Star Wars child actor Jake Lloyd, has explained how she quit Hollywood after beating out 3,000 other young actors to play Anakin Skywalker.
In a recent interview, Lisa said Jake has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and struggles to deal with his mental health issues. scripps news. She gave a rare update on his condition, telling fans that the child star had undergone a psychiatric break, which led to the discovery of his diagnosis. “He didn’t say he was hearing voices at the time. But he was,” Lisa said. “When they finally told him, it completely sent him into an even worse depression.”
Lisa revealed that Jake continues to live in a mental health facility, years after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She described him as a different boy than the boy he played in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but he still loved Star Wars and was on set during filming. He said he cherishes the time he spends there.
“Star Wars” director George Lucas, Amanda Lucas, Jett Lucas and Jake Lloyd attend “Star Wars Episode III” held at the Loews Theaters Metreon in San Francisco, California on May 12, 2005. Attended the afterparty for the San Francisco world premiere of “Revenge of the Sith.” .Photo by: David Paul Morris/Getty Images
Scripps News reported that Jake was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and anosognosia in 2008, and noted that the condition runs on his son’s father’s side of the family. Lisa said he initially refused medication because he didn’t think he needed help.
Lisa said that the backlash she received for appearing in the sci-fi prequel was not the cause of her mental breakdown, and that it was inevitable that she would suffer from the condition anyway.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, followed by The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, followed by Revenge of the Sith tonight in the UK. “Premiered”. Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Lisa detailed the challenges Jake faced while battling mental illness. She said he was sentenced to 10 months in prison in 2015 after leading deputies on a high-speed chase in South Carolina. She said the young actor’s breaking point came after her sister Madison died in her sleep at age 26 in 2018.
Actors Jake Lloyd and Jett Lucas attend the afterparty for the San Francisco World Premiere of Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith held at Loews Theaters Metreon on May 12, 2005 in San Francisco, California. .Photo credit: David Paul Morris/Getty Images
“He just couldn’t stand it. He didn’t know how to handle it,” Lisa told Scrip News.
She said Jake suffered another major setback in March 2023 after an incident in his car while picking up food at McDonald’s.
Liam Neeson organized a sale of movie memorabilia as part of his “Movie Action for Children” fundraiser for UNICEF. The auction will take place on March 6, 2001. AFP Photo/Doug Cantor
“He said he wanted to turn off the car’s engine. And he turned off the car in the middle of three lanes and we were in the middle lane. There was a lot of yelling and yelling,” she said. Told.
On May 12, 2005, the San Francisco World Premiere of Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was held at the Loews Theater Metreon in San Francisco, California.Photo by: David Paul Morris/Getty Images
“The police arrived and asked Jake a few questions. He was talking to them, but none of them made any sense. It was all word salad,” Lisa said. According to Scripps News, Jake checked into a rehab facility the next day for treatment.
The “Star Wars” star has eight months left in his 18-month outpatient treatment program. (Related: ‘I just don’t recognize myself’: Slipknot’s Corey Taylor reveals mental health issues)
“He’s gotten better with people and a little bit more sociable, which is really great,” Lisa said.
