NEWSLark Voorhies' Mom Breaks Down Her Daughter's Mental Health Battle: Watch
Dec. 17 2020, Published 8:44 p.m. ET
It hasn’t always been an easy road for Saved by the Bell star Lark Voorhies, but ever since she revealed she has Schizoaffective thought disorder on Dr. Mehmet Oz’s show earlier this year, things have been looking up for the actress.
“How did her interview with us change the way people saw her?” Dr. Oz asked her mom, Tricia Holloway, on the Thursday, December 17, episode of The Dr. Oz Show. “In particular, I'm curious how Saved by the Bell and the groups that were so important to your daughter interacted differently with you once she appeared on the program?”
“Well, I feel that her coming forward and expressing openly her condition made people more aware of her struggle, and was a true revelation of what she’s been going through,” Voorhies’ mom said. “But in spite of her disorder, she’s able to rise above and perform as an actress. We memorize her lines and we perform those lines very well, but she proved herself on the set.”
Voorhies, 46 — who stars in the Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock — gushed about her mom’s support. “She’s my greatest critic,” she said. “If she says I do a good job, then the job is well done.”
"Saved By The Bell" cast. Photo: Courtesy of ZoCo Productions, LLC
Earlier this year, Voorhies got candid about her mental health while speaking with the daytime host. Fans were concerned about the Hollywood star after a 2012 interview went viral, and people were curious if she was taking drugs or dealing with something else. However, Holloway defended her daughter and said she was bipolar.
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Voorhies then revealed what she had actually been going through over the last couple of years in February. “Schizoaffective thought disorder and that was a perfect example of what it does and how it behaves and what it creates around and about it,” she said.
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"Lark hadn't defined to herself what was going on, so therefore she resented the fact I came forward to put a label that she herself hadn't accepted," Holloway said. "She was upset with me about that."
Dr. Oz also asked how Voorhies felt about not originally being asked to join the Peacock series. “I have to admit I did feel a bit slighted and hurt when I was not invited to be part of the Saved by the Bell reunion as well as other cast members’ events, yet of course, I also realized that having this puzzling disorder may have played a major part in that factual decision,” she said. “With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful.”
Ultimately, things changed, and Voorhies — who played Lisa Turtle on the original series — eventually was asked to star in the new show. "It was very exciting," Voorhies said. "I received a call from Elizabeth Berkley who plays Jessie, she sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and we had a great time shooting it."
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Holloway is also delighted to see her daughter back in the spotlight. "It feels really good, Dr. Oz, because this is something that she's been wanting to do and she's meant to do this," she shared. "This is what she knows to do. It's a lovely environment at Saved by the Bell with the cast and crew. Everyone got along really well."
