07:16 PM EDT 10/20/2009
Mischa Barton
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Pals: Mischa Barton Struggled with Body Issues
Originally posted 07/21/2009 06:10PM
Mischa Barton's personal demons not only included a DUI arrest, relationship breakups and a hospitalization at a psychiatric ward – the actress also struggled with a fluctuating weight and body image.
"She has big self-esteem issues. ... She hates her legs," says a source close to Barton. "She isn't comfortable with her body. It's been a big source of stress and self-hate."
Speculation about 23-year-old actress's weight and nasty comments from tabloids and blogs also fueled insecurity.
Permalink | Filed Under: Mischa Barton
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Mischa Barton's Dark Side Costs Her Friendships
Originally posted 07/20/2009 04:50PM
Mischa Barton's behavior – partying and reported drug and alcohol use – over the past two years has cost her friendships with close pals, including Nicole Richie, a source tells PEOPLE.
"In the last few years, her dark side has really come out," says the source, who is close to both Richie and Barton. "Her friends, like Nicole, want to be supportive but they really can't be around her too much. She's too volatile."
"It makes us sad, but we're also like, 'Pull it together and get help already,'" adds the source.
Permalink | Filed Under: Mischa Barton, Nicole Richie
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Movie Pals Concerned for Mischa Barton
Originally posted 07/20/2009 08:55AM
As the star of her new thriller Homecoming, Mischa Barton would have basked in the limelight of her premiere in New York City on Thursday night.
Instead, she remained hospitalized in Los Angeles after police were called to her home earlier in the week for assistance. Her rep told PEOPLE that on the "recommendation of her doctor" she was resting in a hospital.
But Barton was missed by the director and producers of her new film, who wished her a speedy recovery.
"I'm very concerned about [Mischa]," says Austin Stark, a producer on the film. "First and foremost, we hope she gets better. I don't know exactly what happened ... I wish she wasn't going through the turmoil that she is right now."
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Mischa Barton on a Destructive Path, Says Pal
Originally posted 07/17/2009 05:45PM
News of Mischa Barton's hospitalization has friends worried about her health – though some say they saw this coming.
"She has been on a destructive path for a while now," a friend of the actress tells PEOPLE. "Her drug and alcohol [use] has gotten to a point where it drove people away."
The star of The O.C., 23, who sources say has been "dealing with a lot of personal issues," is under psychiatric evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after calling police with a health problem on Wednesday.
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What's Next in Mischa Barton's Psychiatric Hold?
Originally posted 07/17/2009 02:40PM
Mischa Barton, currently hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles under psychiatric evaluation, known as a 5150 hold, could be released as early as Saturday, or held longer, experts say.
"A 5150 is considered a psychiatric emergency, when a person is deemed a danger to themselves, to others or is gravely disabled," explains L.A.-based psychiatrist Daniel B. Borenstein, M.D., who's not involved in the case. "A serious risk of suicide is a primary reason for the hold, as well as those suffering from severe depression or schizophrenia."
A person under a 5150 is typically held for three days, during which time the patient undergoes evaluation and receives treatment – although medication can't be forcibly given. Depending on their condition, patients may or may not be placed on a locked ward.
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Report: Mischa Barton Placed Under Psychiatric Hold
Originally posted 07/16/2009 04:15PM
Mischa Barton has been placed under involuntary psychiatric hold, Access Hollywood reports, citing a source.
According to Access, the 23-year-old actress is at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Her rep declined to comment on the report, but tells PEOPLE: "Mischa has been hospitalized per the recommendation of her doctor and is resting in the hospital."
On Wednesday, Barton called police at 3 p.m. with a health problem, LAPD Officer April Harding confirmed to PEOPLE. "We assisted her with a medical issue and removed her from her home," says Harding. She adds that no paramedics were involved and no arrests were made, but confidentiality laws prevent her from revealing details about Barton's condition.
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INSIDE STORY: Mischa Barton 'Dealing with Personal Issues'
Originally posted 07/16/2009 06:10PM
Almost a year after describing her DUI arrest as "a low point," Mischa Barton – who called police with a health problem Wednesday – may be hitting another rough patch.
"She has been dealing with a lot of personal issues," a pal tells PEOPLE about the actress who has been spotted club hopping in L.A. and London the past few months. "I don't know if she really ever gave up some of the bad habits that had gotten out of control a couple years back."
The 23-year-old actress was scheduled to attend the premiere of her movie Homecoming Thursday night in New York City but Access Hollywood reports she remained at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles under psychiatric hold.
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Mischa Barton Cancels Appearance After Medical Problem
Originally posted 07/16/2009 01:55PM
Mischa Barton will skip the premiere Thursday night of her movie Homecoming, a day after she made a medical call to Los Angeles police.
The 23-year-old actress, who two months earlier said that she was happy and healthy, called police at 3 p.m. Wednesday with a health problem, LAPD Officer April Harding confirms to PEOPLE. (Access Hollywood first reported the story.)
"We assisted her with a medical issue and removed her from her home," says Harding. She adds that no paramedics were involved and no arrests were made, but confidentiality laws prevent her from revealing details about Barton's condition.
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Mischa Barton Proudly Strips Down for Magazine
Originally posted 04/09/2009 05:00PM
Too skinny one day, too heavy the next – Mischa Barton has long been the subject of public critiques of her figure.
But the actress, 23, says she's learned to love her body, no matter what bloggers say about her looks.
"I wouldn't change my body, and I couldn't anyway," she tells Cosmopolitan UK's May issue. "The only way to be happy and be a more enjoyable person to be around is to embrace what you've got. I feel confident now."
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Mischa Barton Cast in New Ashton Kutcher Show
Originally posted 03/13/2009 08:00AM
The latest rumor Mischa Barton would like to debunk is she's not appearing on the Melrose Place remake. Instead, the former O.C. star will make her return to the small screen with a role on another CW show, A Beautiful Life, produced by Ashton Kutcher.
"Ashton developed it about his life growing up as a model from Iowa, so it's about the whole fashion world that he was in, and obviously I have a lot of friends in the fashion world, so I'm used to being around a lot of people in that," Barton tells PEOPLE on Thursday night at a GQ magazine-hosted party to celebrate new men's fragrance Burberry the Beat.
And Barton, who recently attended the fashion shows in Paris, promises to put the catty in catwalker. "[I play] a bitchy model-type character, like it's a totally different character for me," says Barton, who starts shooting as Sonia, a successful model who keeps the competition at bay but also advises the younger ones, at the end of the month.
Permalink | Filed Under: TV News, Ashton Kutcher, Mischa Barton
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