Darth Vader child actor Jake Lloyd suffered bullying from fans after he starred in the 1999 Star Wars film The Phantom Menace. He was only 9 years old when he portrayed the younger version of Anakin Skywalker, but little did he know he was not going to enjoy the popularity of the franchise.
The Phantom Menace remains one of the most disliked installments, and combined with playing the most hated antagonist of all time, made Lloyd an easy target. This forced him to retire from acting in 2001, after a short stint of fame.
Darth Vader Actor Jake Lloyd Suffered Paranoid Schizophrenia Due To Incessant Bullying
Jake Lloyd sustained his tormentors’ harassment for several years, but the problems did not end there. The former Darth Vader star avoided the spotlight since his exit from the Star Wars realm, though the bullying was so intense he developed a severe mental illness.
In 2015, Lloyd’s mother, Lisa, had to call the authorities after her son had an uncontrollable outburst. At this time, it was known that the Jingle All The Way star had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Later that year, he was caught running a red light in South Carolina. As the police went after him, Lloyd purposely crashed the car into a tree. He was imprisoned for ten long months before he was brought to a psychiatric ward.
Lloyd’s mother published a statement via Geek News Now regarding an update about her son. The account reads:
“We would like to thank everyone for their kind words, their support, and goodwill. Jake has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, but unfortunately, he also has a symptom called anosognosia, which causes a lack of insight into his illness. This only adds to the struggle he faces, which has been very difficult after the tragic loss of his younger sister, Madison. He has moved closer to his family, and we are all working hard to help him with this.”
Madison, Lloyd’s sister and former actress who also made a brief appearance in The Phantom Menace, unexpectedly passed away in her sleep in 2018. This sudden event also contributed to the former Darth Vader actor’s mental illness, though it is unknown how grave his condition is.
Other Star Wars Actors Also Faced Harassment
Jake Lloyd isn’t the only Star Wars actor who suffered bullying at the hands of fans. Ahmed Best and Kelly Marie Tran, who portrayed Jar Jar Binks and Rose Tico, respectively, were also victims of harassment. Unlike Tran, who defended herself by publishing a statement, Lloyd was a defenseless child who only bore the pain of cruel treatment from fans.
Still, Lloyd’s mother is not losing hope that her son will find his way back again and become a brand-new person. She concluded the message with words of love and support via Geek News Now:
“He is still a kind and caring person, and we hope to have him back to his fun and entertaining self as soon as possible. Jake will continue to make progress with the love and support you continue to show.”
It is truly a strange world we live in, and for a child to be bullied for portraying Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, from a movie is not justifiable, no matter what perspective we look into.
