Overdoses, DUIs, & Psych Ward Visits: Mischa Barton's 18 Most Shocking Secrets & Scandals
March 4 2016, Published 10:08 a.m. ET
Teen star turned trainwreck Mischa Barton, 30, is joining the next season of Dancing With The Stars— but can she waltz on by her tragic past?
Rumors of demons began swirling soon after Barton burst onto the scene in hit teen drama The O.C. "Everyone knows Mischa is out every night partying," an insider told Star in March 2004, when the actress was just 18. Her former publicist "has been asking her to stop being seen at clubs. Her told pals he thought he was making the next Jennifer Aniston, but now I think he feels like he's dealing with the next Tara Reid!"
The 6th annual Mercedes-Benz Designcure Fashion show
While dating Hollywood bad boy Brandon Davis, the actress was kicked out of high-end clothing store Fred Segal for badmouthing the brand in a magazine, Star reported in 2004. A store manager "went up to her and asked her to hang over the clothes, telling her she couldn't shop there anymore after what she had said," a source revealed.
The O.C Cast
In 2006, Barton was booted from the hit series that made her a star. "It was a creative decision for the show," O.C. creator Josh Schwartz later explained.
In May 2007, Barton was hospitalized after reportedly overindulging in drugs and alcohol at BFF Nicole Richie's Memorial Day bash. Pals including Richie turned their backs on her. "Most of her Hollywood friends distanced themselves from her after that," a source told People of the incident. "It was crazy and just too intense, even for that circle."
Mischa Barton Arrested For DUI
Just months later, the actress, then 21, was arrested for driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, and driving without a license in the wee hours of December 27. She was sentenced to three years of probation. "I never, ever would have thought I would be arrested," she later told Nylon.
Celebrity Sightings In New York – September 14, 2009
Barton hit rock bottom. In July 2009, the fading star was placed under an involuntary psychiatric 5150 hold after she blacked out on drugs and threatened to kill herself. "It was a full-on breakdown," she later admitted.
Elie Saab: Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2009
According to OK!, Barton had been on a three-day cocaine binge. In photos from the previous months, she appeared skeletal and gaunt.
Celebrity Sightings In New York – September 24, 2009
Just days before, her loved ones staged an intervention, Star reported. "Her friends got together and told her that they were worried," a source said. "Everyone was scared because she looked so sick."
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2008 – Alexander Wang – After Party
A failed comeback: Barton landed a big role in CW drama The Beautiful Life two months after her psych ward stay, but it was canceled after just two episodes.
Mischa Barton At “Chiambretti Night”: Italian TV Show
In 2010, Barton's weight ballooned to 40 pounds overweight, The ENQUIRER reported. "Her show was canceled, and she's been eating everything in sight for solace," a source said.
Back to her old ways? In 2014, Barton partied away the pain and refused to talk to her family. "It's extremely heartbreaking," a friend told Star. "She's broke and ashamed."
Around this time, Barton gained weight yet again, shocking her fans.
Here come the lawsuits! Her Los Angeles mansion went into foreclosure in August 2014 after she fell five months behind on payments.
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In April 2015, she sued her momager, Nuala Barton, for allegedly spending her daughter's hard-earned money without her consent. "This action arises from the tragic tale of a greedy stage mother posing as a talent manager who, instead of acting in the best interest of her daughter/client, schemed to defraud her unsuspecting victim," her lawyers stated in court documents.
Barton was fined in 2015 after being sued by producers for backing out of a film role last minute.
Later that year, she was sued for allegedly falling behind on payments for her Audi Q3.
In February, Volkswagen slapped Barton with a lawsuit, claiming she stopped paying for her ride.
Will Dancing With The Stars save Barton's career? Sound off in the comments.
