Lark Voorhies Disappeared From TV. It's Now Pretty Clear Why

Publish date: 2024-05-08

Nearly five months after the Saved by the Bell reboot was announced in 2019, actress Lark Voorhies appeared on The Dr. Oz Show to open up about her experiences with mental health. While Voorhies more or less faded from the limelight after Saved by the Bell wrapped in 1993 (save for small roles and occasional cameos on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Robot Chicken), her comparative absence only emphasized her re-emergence in the headlines in 2012 after Voorhies' mother, Tricia Voorhies, told People exclusively that her daughter had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 

The elder Voorhies' comments were not without cause. Her statement was made into a viral video which featured her daughter Lark "frequently [stopping] mid-sentence and [staring] off" and "often mumbling to herself or to others who weren't there" (per People). While Lark's parents first classified their daughter as having bipolar disorder, a chronic mental health condition that the National Institute of Mental Health describes as "a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks", Lark herself clarified during her interview with Oz that the initial diagnosis had been incorrect.

Lark's psychiatrist, Dr. Shahla Modir, who also made an appearance during the Dr. Oz segment, concurred that Lark had been misdiagnosed, adding that the result of the misdiagnosis had prevented her patient from "getting the proper treatment" for her mental health and wellness issues (via The Daily Mail).

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