Former child star Jake Lloyd has made a rare public appearance in a video message to Star Wars fans while continuing to live with schizophrenia.
The 37-year-old actor, best known for portraying a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, experienced a complete psychotic break in 2023. He subsequently spent 18 months receiving care at a mental health facility.
Lloyd no longer acts and does not maintain social media accounts, but he appeared in an Instagram video shared this week by fellow Star Wars child actor Daniel Logan.
Logan, 39, played a young Boba Fett in 2002’s Attack of the Clones and has developed a friendship with Lloyd over the years.
The pair addressed Star Wars fans in the video on Thursday. The clip quickly went viral, attracting nearly two million views.
After introducing himself, Logan gestured toward Lloyd and invited him to say hello.
Former child star Jake Lloyd (left) appeared in a rare video with fellow Star Wars actor Daniel Logan (right) to address fans amid his ongoing battle with schizophrenia
After a brief pause, Lloyd introduced himself and gave the camera a shy wave.
Logan then said, “We want to send a special message to each and every one of our Star Wars fans to let you know, thank you so much.”
Lloyd responded, “Very, very much so. I really appreciate that time.”
Throughout the short recording, Lloyd appeared to struggle to maintain eye contact, frequently looking around the room rather than directly at the camera.
He was incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar disorder while in high school before receiving a correct diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia in 2008.
Lloyd experienced what was described as a “full-blown psychotic break” in 2023, with the episode linked to the devastating death of his younger sister, Madison, who died at 26 in 2018.
NEXT UP: Elon Musk Held Responsible for Starlink Satellite System Slowdown
The episode resulted in an 18-month stay at a mental health facility.
In 2015, Lloyd spent 10 months at Colleton County Detention Center after being convicted of reckless driving, driving without a license and resisting arrest.
Lloyd, now 37, is best known for playing a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
The former child star landed his major Hollywood breakthrough at age seven, appearing in Jingle All the Way alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
The arrest came three months after Lloyd assaulted his mother, Lisa Riley, knocking her down and stomping on her. Riley ultimately chose not to press charges.
Last year, Riley told former ABC News correspondent Clayton Sandell that her son was “actually getting so much better than he was.”
“It’s a big relief for me and the rest of his family. We’re all just thrilled that he’s doing as well as he is, and that he’s working really hard at it. We appreciate that,” she said.
Lloyd also said that he was doing ‘pretty good’ and was taking his medication.
‘I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds. Everyone’s been very supportive,’ he said.
He also said that taking his meds stopped him from feeling ‘volatile’, and that they acted as a ‘cushion’.
Lloyd got his big Hollywood break at just 7 years old in Jingle All The Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He then had his most defining role as a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.