DoctorOz: Lark Voorhies Opens Up About Her Mental Health Diagnosis

It's the exclusive interview that's been two years in the making. One of the most beloved 90s teen sitcom stars is here, Lark Boris. Now Lark was best known as Lisa Turtle on the iconic show Saved by the Bell. While her fellow castmates launched into Hollywood careers, Lark's once shining star faded out, leaving everyone wondering what happened. Two years ago, Lark was scheduled to appear here on our show, but it became clear she needed help and she needed care. Today, the missing Saved by the Bell star, Lark Boris, is finally here. She's going to speak out exclusively about her mental health issues and how she feels shunned by her castmates and left out of the Saved by the Bell reboot. She won our hearts as Lisa Turtle, Bayside High School's favorite fashionista, on the hit 90s sitcom Saved by the Bell. Lark Boris rose to fame along with her castmates. Their high school dream world filled with fantasy and fun, forever etched on our collective imagination. After Saved by the Bell, Lark Boris moved on to soap operas like The Bold and the Beautiful and small films. But over time, she disappeared from the spotlight, causing fans to wonder what happened to Lark Boris. In 2012, shocking photos and rumors about the actress began to surface. And then, a bombshell. Lark's mother told People Magazine that her daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At first, Lark denied the claim and continued to worry her family, friends, and fans. In 2015, Lark made headlines defending her then-new husband, Jimmy Green, a reported former gang member, after her mother filed a restraining order against him. After only six months, the couple divorced. And according to her mom, Lark moved in with her because she was psychologically, mentally, and emotionally fragile. Two years ago, Lark was set to come on my show. But in a pre-interview, it became evident to my team that she was still not well. After they came to me with their concerns about Lark's state of mind, it was clear that the first order of business was to get Lark some off-camera support. I offered to connect her with psychiatrist Dr. Shala Mudir, who I trusted could help. We continued to check in with Lark. And now, two years later, she feels like she's ready to face the world. Please welcome Lark Boris. Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. We have missed you. How are you feeling? We're all together again now. You feel okay? Yes, I feel incredible. I'm glad you're here. So let me explain what we're going to do today. Lark is joined by her mom, Tricia, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Mudir. They're here for support. Lark's disorder, which we're going to get into in a bit, causes her to have some trouble articulating her thoughts. So her mom and doctor are here to help out. I was going to start in the beginning. Saved by the Bell, iconic show in the 90s, your first big role. And I'm just curious, what was your relationship like with the stars of that show? It was very family-like, which I'm sure you can relate. Each stage performance becomes your audience and family. And we're up together, down together, together, together. Did you have a good time while you were taping the show? Definitely. Those are some of my happiest moments of my childhood. Did you like being famous? Did you enjoy having the fans? Every moment. You did? Indeed. I see that in your eyes. That's good. Dr. Mudir, can the pressure, the intense pressure of being a teen idol, bring a dormant mental illness to the surface? It can in someone who's predisposed and has a family history. But I think there was more in Lark's case, just in terms of the stressors that were to follow after and relationship stressors. So she had more stress on her in addition to the show that was happening in her personal life that I think altogether was weighing down on her. Can we get into that a little bit? So after the show ended, you sort of disappeared from the spotlight. Most of us didn't know where you had gone, what you were doing. Going on to college. Going to college, which is part of it. So you graduate, you're sort of finding your way. You're having more difficulty connecting all the pieces as much as you had been. And I'm going to show a little video clip that I remember was being startled by when I saw it. This is an on-camera interview, one that some of you may remember from Entertainment Tonight. Take a look. Rumors began to swirl after that interview. And a lot of folks were trying to figure out what was going on. Were you on drugs? Was there some metabolic problem? And you weren't taking drugs at the time, I'm told. No. And mom, when everyone... I've never taken drugs. Good for you. Yeah. Mama, in order to address some of those concerns, you proclaimed that your daughter had bipolar disorder, which your daughter, Lark, subsequently claimed wasn't true. Why did you want to go public with the diagnosis before Lark felt comfortable disclosing it? Because people were seeing something. And so I was putting a label to it. And Lark hadn't defined to herself what is going on. So therefore, she resented the fact that I came forward to put a label that she herself hadn't accepted. And so she was upset with me about that. So what is your official diagnosis? Psycho... No. Schizoaffective. 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. Do you feel like you know your thoughts, but you have trouble expressing them? Yes. So the thoughts are formed. Correct. You know what you want to say. Yeah, and everybody's ticker taping it to the top to figure out who's going to get the Lisa Voorhees thought. Right. That's right. Who's going to get her thought? I am. And so, yeah, that's a perfect example of what was going on at the time. And you told my producers that you're afraid to leave your home sometimes. Oh, yes. Well, you know, in life and in the entertainment industry, let me tell you, the show does go on. Yes, it does. So I'm proud you got out of the house. Oh, indeed. When we come back, Lark opens up about feeling shunned by her Saved by the Bell castmates and left out of the new Saved by the Bell reboot. Stay with us. We're back with Saved by the Bell star Lark Voorhees. She's been opening up about her struggles with mental illness for the very first time and some of her feelings about being shunned by her castmates. She's joined now by her mom, Trisha, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Modere. And over the years, Lark's former castmates have reunited on screen and off screen. Here's a photo of them with their spouses celebrating 30 years of friendship. So, Lark, as you look at that photo, and I know you know about these reunions, how does it make you feel when you see them socializing? Empowered. They have the right to do that, and they're happy in their element, and they can have it, certainly. Would you like to be included? Oh, well, yes. What family isn't kept complete without its lead? So some of Lark's former castmates are currently taping a reboot of Saved by the Bell. But, Lark, you've not been asked to participate. And I know you wrote something, an entry, that if it's okay with you, I'd love you to share. It's very powerful. All right. And it reflects some of your thoughts about not being invited to participate. Oh, I see. Okay. It reads, this is in question to the reunion, 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. With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful. You wrote beautifully. You read it beautifully. Oh, thank you. I'll take your glasses. Yes, sir. They're borrowed from one of my camera people. What would it mean for you to be invited to the reunion? 100% of everything it should mean. I would be elated and happy and everything would blend in as we are used to coming together for. And so I would have a lovely time, just a lovely time. Do you ever cry about the fact that you have trouble? As you've said earlier, it's hard to figure out which of the many competing voices gets their word out next. Yeah, and then when you have that, it's like, well, I have this one. So you come up with another one for yourself because I got this one for myself and it just goes on and on and on. So, Mom, as you watch your daughter and the ups and downs that she's had, how does it make you feel? Right now, I feel really good, but I've struggled a lot. I've had many nights of crying. I was totally puzzled and perplexed. But I got to say, Dr. Modere has come the farthest with helping my daughter come to terms with her challenge. And thank you for finding Dr. Modere for me. So I cry less now. Well, first of all, I'm very appreciative of Dr. Modere as well, but I'm especially proud that you were able to do what's required. Yes, sir. To be able to sit on this stage with us right now and help us understand what's going on. Indeed. Because it was confusing and it would be overwhelming for most people just to be here. And you've done a wonderful job bringing it alive for us. Yes, sir. Do you hope that with the proper treatment, you're going to be able to work in Hollywood again, that you'll be included on a Saved by the Bell reunion? Yes, indeed. You do? Yes, indeed. Dr. Modere, is it possible? It's a work that I love. Yeah, I mean, as you can see, like when you give Lark a script, she can read a script and she can read it well. So it's just going to require like some patience and some understanding of what her condition is and allowing her to have a script as most people would in Hollywood. And I think she'll shine. Do you think I should call some of your castmates and remind them what's going on with you? Certainly. We'll call them together. All right, I'm going to do that. That's the spirit that we have on that show. You've got a lot of people in your corner, me included. Yes, sir. I'm very proud of you. And if I can help you, you let me know. I thank you. Keep working on this. Mom, congratulations. Dr. Modere, thank you. Thank you, doctor. We'll be right back.