Jake Lloyd, Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, shares schizophrenia update

Jake Lloyd starred in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace alongside Hollywood heavyweights Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor. Photo / Lucasfilm Ltd

In an interview that comes weeks after a year-and-a-half long stay at a mental health facility following a “psychotic break”, former child actor Jake Lloyd has discussed his schizophrenia diagnosis and mental health struggles with author and TV correspondent Clayton Sandell, confirming he is now doing well after hitting rock bottom two years ago.

Published on Sandell’s Substack, the revealing interview sees Jake and his mother Lisa open up about his mental health journey and the place he’s in now.

Jake told Sandell - who penned Star Wars: Timelines, a history of the franchise’s world - that he was doing well.

“I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds. Everyone’s been very supportive.”

The Lloyds also revealed Jake had spent 18 months at an inpatient mental health facility in California. He’s now living and receiving treatment at a different rehabilitation centre.

Jake Lloyd rose to fame with his portrayal of young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but recent years have seen the star struggle with his mental health.

What his mother has described publicly as a “full-blown psychotic break” in 2023 was highly publicised.

The incident saw Jake turn off his car in the midst of three lanes of traffic. Authorities were called but he was unable to understand their questions. He was admitted to hospital and then rehab.

In 2015 he was charged with reckless driving, failure to stop and driving without a licence following a car chase in Southern California. There was a 10-month long spell in jail before he was transferred to a psychiatric ward.

Jake Lloyd's health issues have made headlines with several incidents over the years. His family have been open about his mental wellbeing.

The year prior, TMZ reported that his mother told police responding to an assault callout that Jake had schizophrenia and wasn’t taking his medication. She declined to press charges and said he wasn’t a violent person.

Lisa told TMZ at the time that her son began showing signs of schizophrenia at the age of 19.

In addition to schizophrenia, which Lisa has said the family had a history of, she has told media that Jake also suffers from the neurological condition anosognosia, which causes denial of symptoms and rejection of treatment.

Jake said he needed to hit rock bottom in order to seek treatment.

His role in the Star Wars franchise has been beneficial.

“The experience I’ve had with the fans is immediately therapeutic,” he said in the interview with Sandell. “Right now, it’s still therapeutic. It’s helpful for people and healthy. It isn’t something I’d shy away from.”

Jake has previously said that his “entire school life was a living hell”.

“Other children were really mean to me,” he told BlackBook in 2012. “They would make the sound of the lightsaber every time they saw me. It was totally mad.”