In a recent interview, Lisa Lloyd, mother of former child actor Jake Lloyd, has refuted claims that her son’s mental health struggles were triggered by his role in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.”
Jake, who played young Anakin Skywalker in the film, has been in a mental health facility for the past 10 months after experiencing a psychotic break.
Lisa insists that Jake’s diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2008 was not linked to his time on the set of the iconic film. “It would have happened anyway,” she stated, attributing his condition to genetics. She also revealed that Jake’s psychiatrist agrees that he was predisposed to develop schizophrenia.
Jake still loves Star Wars
Despite the challenges Jake has faced, Lisa emphasized that he is still a huge “Star Wars” fan. On his recent birthday, she gifted him an action figure of the character Ahsoka, showcasing his continued love for the franchise.
Jake’s mom stressed that she went to great lenghts to shield her kid from all the negativity that surrounded the film. “I protected him from the backlash. He was just riding his bike outside, playing with his friends. He didn’t know. He didn’t care,” she said.
Jake’s journey with mental health issues began in high school when he started experiencing confusion about reality. He was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but later received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
He is going back to his former self
Despite struggles with medication and legal issues, Jake has shown improvement during his time in the mental health facility, with Lisa noting that he is becoming more social and reminiscent of his old self.
“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,”Lisa stated.
Jake’s story sheds light on the complexities of mental health and highlights the importance of understanding and support for individuals facing similar challenges.