'Saved By The Bell's' Lark Voorhies Opens Up About Mental Illness

Gettyimages | Jeff Kravitz

Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on Saved By The Bell, has decided to open up about her struggles with her mental health. Voorhies recently posted a photo of her on the set of Dr. Oz and thanked everyone who has been supportive of her over the past few years. She wrote about how difficult it was to discuss some of the things she struggled with, but that fans can see her opening up on the February 19th episode of the show.

NBC

Although Voorhies began her Hollywood career at the tender age of two, it was her casting as Lisa Turtle on Good Morning, Miss Bliss (which later morphed into Saved by the Bell) that made her famous. The series followed high school students as they navigated their lives full of teen problems, some funny, but others very serious. Voorhies eventually went on to work on several soap operas, including Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. She also guest-starred on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Gettyimages | NBC

It was around the 2000s when fans began to notice a change in Voorhies ' appearance and attitude. It didn't help that her acting career had stalled at that point. Rumors began that Voorhies suffered from substance abuse and mental illness. In 2012, her mother opened up to People and admitted that her daughter was bipolar, mentioning that her daughter had undergone some traumatic experiences. However, the actress denied any problems with drugs or mental illness at the time, perhaps because of the stigma attached to it.

Gettyimages | Paul Redmond

Voorhies was no stranger to controversy either. After a bitter divorce that ended up with her ex-husband threatening to release a sex tape, it's no secret that Voorhies went through some very difficult times. It seems now that she's ready to talk about these struggles and how she got through them. Her Instagram post mentions that she will open up about a mental health disorder that she feels a lot of people don't understand and she encouraged fans to tune in.

Gettyimages | Ron Galella, Ltd.

Although a new Saved By the Bell series is underway for NBC's upcoming streaming subscription service Peacock, Voorhies has not been contacted about returning for the show. In a clip released from the Dr. Oz show, the actress read about her feelings on this from her journal:

"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."