The father of a Nickelodeon child star has spoken out after a viral video appeared to show the star seemingly homeless.
Tylor Chase, known for his role as Martin Qwerly in Ned’s Declassified Survival Guide, which aired between 2004 and 2007, recently went viral after a video appeared to show the star seemingly homeless.
The video showed a fan approaching a now 36-year-old Chase outside a line of shops in Los Angeles this month, and the actor confirmed he had previously appeared on the Nickelodeon show.
In a previous statement, Riverside California Police told TMZ that their officers contact the former child star at least once a week to ‘consistently offer a variety of resources, including assistance with temporary shelter options’ but he has always denied them.
A few of his former co-stars have spoken out regarding Chase’s situation, and now his father has further addressed things in a new interview.
Joseph Mendez Jr has claimed his son has been struggling for more than a decade with issues, but told The Daily Mail he is a ‘wonderful person.’
“For over a decade, the family has sought treatment options for Tylor, including support for substance use as well as mental health care,” he said.
According to his father, the family got Chase into a rehabilitation centre in 2021, where was progress for a time’, but ‘he [Chase] later chose to discontinue medication and resumed substance use’.
Mendez Jr said Chase went to California to be with his mother ‘ in hopes of stabilizing his situation’, adding: “However, despite continued support, he has refused ongoing treatment and assistance.”
“His family has been trying for many years to get him the support he needs, but ultimately, he must be willing to accept help,” he said.
Following the video’s virality, TikToker LetHallAlli set up a GoFundMe for Chase, though she soon received a message from the actor’s mom, who claimed Chase wasn’t in the right state of mind to handle large sums of money.
“Money would not benefit him. I have gotten him several phones, but he loses them within a day or two. He can’t manage money or his meds by himself,” the alleged text message shared on TikTok read.
When asked if the money raised could be passed on to her, Chase’s mom agreed and spoke a bit on the situation, saying: “If you’d like to meet me at the plaza one day, that would be fine. But like I said, he’s not good at managing money and it could possibly hurt him. I appreciate you trying to help him, he is a good, sweet kid.
“But he does need medical help.”
Chase himself also told The Daily Mail that he isn’t homeless and has options nearby, adding: “It’s not really like that, I have friends and family. I stay around here locally. My mom is here. I have a lot of good people helping me.
“It’s not too shabby. A lot of people help out. It goes a long way. I have family and friends, and the housing shelter assistance program. There’s graceful charity from the grace of God’s family people. That’s a pretty chill aspect of it all.
“It’s a true privilege, obviously.”
