Mischa Barton has revealed she was drugged with GHB on Wednesday night, hours before being hospitalised on Thursday morning for a reported mental evaluation.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the 31-year-old former The O.C. star says she was celebrating her birthday with friends at the time of the incident.
Barton, who has now left Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after spending a night, says “while having drinks, I realized that something was not right as my behavior was becoming erratic and continued to intensify over the next several hours.”
Corroborating reports from West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department (WHSD), Barton says she “voluntarily went to get professional help, and I was informed by [Cedars-Sinai] staff that I had been given GHB.”
Barton also used her statement to alert others to the issue, saying “this is a lesson to all young women out there, be aware of your surroundings.”
GHB is a sickeningly common chemical agent used in date-rape scenarios.
It’s known for its potent depressant qualities, and disturbingly, it can cause “changes in consciousness, perception, and antero-grade amnesia, and at times hallucinations during and following the act.”
Police had been called to Barton’s home on Thursday morning after witnesses reported a “disturbance” at her place. TMZ sources claim Barton was “rambling” nonsense at the time; WHSD say Barton was “speaking in coherent statements” before she attended hospital of her own volition.
What a horrific thing to endure. Our thoughts are with Barton.
Source: PEOPLE.
Photo: Gisela Schober / Getty.
Photo: Gisela Schober / Getty.
To speak to someone about mental health, call BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636. If you are in distress, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
