Mother of 'Star Wars' Child Actor Jake Lloyd Reveals He's Living in a Mental Health Rehab Facility
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Jake Lloyd, who found extreme fame after nabbing the part of young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, is currently in a mental health rehabilitation facility in the middle of an 18-month program, as revealed by his mother, Lisa Lloyd.
Lisa spoke with Scripps News about her son's current status, explaining that he had what she called a psychotic break in March 2023, one day as they were driving home after getting food from McDonald's. "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," she recalled.
Bystanders called the police, and later that day Jake was admitted to a hospital. It wasn't until a few months later that he was transferred into the 18-month inpatient program that he is currently enrolled in at a mental health facility.
His mother shared that he is "doing much better than I expected," adding, "He is relating to people better and becoming a little bit more social, which is really nice."
Lisa also shared with the publication that the now-35-year-old started experiencing mental health difficulties in high school, referencing different "realities." She considered that he might have bipolar disorder, but it wasn't until 2008 that he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
"He didn't tell us he was hearing voices at the time. But he was," Lisa said, while also recalling that he would talk about people following him and seeing "black eyes" on the street. She talked about the ups and downs over the years as Jake went on and off medicine, including a stint in jail in 2015 after a car chase.
During that difficult time, Lisa fought to stay in contact with Jake and get him medical care, telling the publication, “As a mom, you're just pulling your hair out because your child needs help. You know that he's sick. You know that he's not going to get any better unless he gets some medication." In 2018, he also lost his sister to natural causes when she was only 26.
In recent years, Lisa explained that she reconnected with her son and was able to fully support him and focus on getting the right care. Jake has been in the inpatient program for 10 months now, with eight more to go.
Sharing a glimpse of her positive outlook on the future, she said, “We're in a lot better place. And we do have a lot of things to look forward to...We all love Jake, and we want to be around him. I just want him to be happy.” Based on the timeline, Jake will finish his program around the holiday season at the end of 2024.
