Source: Sony Pictures Television / ZoCo Productions LLC
Actress Lark Voorhies made an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show recently, and in her episode, which airs on Wednesday, the former Saved by the Bell star shared her struggles with mental health issues. While there have been plenty of stories about what may be going on with her, she specifically shared on the show that she hears multiple voices in her head. Hearing voices or auditory hallucinations is usually attached to the disorder schizophrenia, though they didn’t go in depth about her specific diagnosis.
Dr. Oz asked the 45-year-old if the competing voices make her upset, and she admitted that they can frustrate her.
“Yeah. 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 for myself’ and it just goes on and on and on,” she said.
Lark’s mother, Tricia, as well as Lark’s doctor, Dr. Shahla Modir, were by her side to offer her support during the conversation. When Dr. Oz asked Tricia how she’s been feeling watching her daughter’s mental health deteriorate and eventually improve, she said she’s found comfort in the fact that Lark is finally making progress since she started working with Dr. Modir, thanks to Dr. Oz.
“Right now I feel really good, but I’ve struggled a lot. I’ve had many nights of crying and I was totally puzzled and perplexed,” Tricia said. “But I’ve got to say, Dr. Modir has come the farthest with helping my daughter come to terms with her challenge and thank you for finding Dr. Modir for me.”
Lark was also asked about her former SBTB co-stars, who not only have reunited to hang out, but some have also signed on to do a reboot of the series (specifically Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Lark, the sole Black cast member of the popular teen series, has been left out of all of all of this, and when asked by Dr. Oz if she would have liked to be included, she said yes.
“Well, yes,” she said. “What family isn’t kept complete without its lead?”
However, Lark shared a journal entry, perhaps her clearest thought in previews of the interview, where she revealed that she believed her battles with her mental health are the reason she hasn’t been welcomed to partake in outings with former cast mates, or considered for the reboot. While hurtful, it’s something she said she understands.
“Okay. It reads, this is a question to the reunion,” she said of her entry before reading from it. “‘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.”
Lark gained fame on the show playing Lisa Marie Turtle from 1989 to 1993. She also revisited her character in several spin-offs of SBTB, including The College Years, Wedding in Las Vegas and The New Class.
Check out local listings for today’s full airing of her episode of The Dr. Oz Show.
Video courtesy of ZoCo Productions, LLC
