Ah yes, this is one of those Hollywood It Girls gone bad, and it kind of makes you wonder what will become of her. She was doing so well and then…well….she gained a few pounds which in Tinseltown is enough to send you to the looney bin. And she wouldn’t be the first person that this happened to, but she was such a graceful style icon that it almost makes this story sadder. Mischa originally had a healthy approach to life, and loved her body just the way it was, and the way it kept going when her thighs made headline news a while back. The criticism from those photos spurred something awful for her, and so began her downhill spiral. And while this was not Britney Spears meltdown ugly, it was pretty darn close. Though she is looking a little worse for wear here, this is not a symbol of her downhill ways, as this is merely her in character on the set of her new TV show “The Beautiful Life”. But even the fact that she has gone back to work after her most recent meltdown has people worried for her, saying that she is even risking her own health. They say that too much is happening too soon following her release from Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last month. As we know, the former ‘O.C.’ actress – who was placed under involuntary psychiatric hold at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last month. And she has subsequently infuriated her close pals by partying at the All Points West music festival in New York just days after her release from hospital, leaving many to question when her next meltdown will occur. Family friend Eric Ziegenbein has been reported saying:

“It’s scary to see her out right after she’s received treatment. When I found out she’d been partying again, I was shocked. I thought she would chill out for a bit. The fact she was out right away proves she’s not taking things seriously enough. It was like a big ‘f**k you.’ She’s too proud and independent sometimes.”

The 23-year-old starlet spent two weeks under a 5150 hold – which allows people to be forcibly held if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others, are gravely disabled or have a mental disorder – after friends became concerned she was suicidal. It has been alleged the actress’ drink and drug use was affecting her career and personal life, and back talk about her weight fuelled all of this. Primarily, her friends are frustrated Mischa isn’t listening to the advice of loved ones and is trying to deal with her problems alone. They say “She has a support group, but it’s obvious she’s ignoring them. I’m disappointed she’s not taking advice and is still doing her own thing.” This is not the first time the actress’s friends have voiced concerns about her wellbeing. Earlier this month, they openly expressed their fears she had returned to work on her new TV series ‘The Beautiful Life’ too soon after leaving hospital. This one is a tough one to call. On set she looks pretty healthy, and her wardrobe can only be blamed to character. And we haven’t seen her stumbling out of Bardot at 4 in the morning recently, so we don’t know exactly how hard she is partying. Could be that her friends are worried and overprotective of a near suicidal loved one….or could be that she is simply wanting to get back on her feet and start fresh by learning how to take care of herself. You know what my thoughts are…thats right…time will tell as it always does in Hollywood.

Photo: PacificCoastNews.com

For a while there, this was one starlet that we sort of had high hopes for. She always looked so elegant and classy wherever she went, and she seemed to pooh pooh the likes of former Hollywood bad girls Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Ritchie. Oh no, she would never end up like THEM. But it seems that while Mischa Barton may not be dealing with a DUI on her record, she certainly has fallen into some kind of Tinseltown trap, and is on the way downhill, and it isn’t a very slow slope for her either. And here she is seen on what has become just another night in the life of Mischa Barton, as she stumbles out of the trendy Bungalow 8 club in London, looking a little worse for wear in the wee hours of the morning. Sources say on this night she didn’t crawl out until about 4:50 AM, and that this is not an atypical evening for Mischa. But it is the combination of many nights like these, with the pressures of Hollywood that have become just a little too much for Mischa to handle, as she has just had a breakdown of some sorts that has hospitalized her. Mischa Barton was sectioned last week at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being placed under a 5150 hold, a piece of US legislation which means she poses a danger to herself or other. Her rep says that she is making improvements and will be returning to work as early as next week on the set of “The Beautiful Life”. Shooting of US TV show ‘The Beautiful Life’ – in which Mischa plays a supermodel who struggles to cope with the pressure of the fashion world – has been postponed until July 31 after it was claimed the sets were not ready. When in actuality, production was stopped so that Mischa could have a breakdown of sorts. And her rep may not exactly the details of Mischa’s case at all, as production folks have gotten a little nervous about this and are considering lining up a double for Mischa is case she is not well enough to film. Maybe Mischa just needs a little pick me up, as sources close to her say this (the breakdown) is all caused by low self esteem.

“She hates her legs. She isn’t comfortable with her body. It’s been a big source of stress and self-hate. She had a big problem with those photos of her cellulite. She didn’t like it. That just was something that contributed to her spiraling but she didn’t do much to fix it because of her partying.”

You have to know it’s getting bad when style icons like Mischa Barton are suffering from low self esteem. But it seems that partying like Lilo is the real cause of her spiral, as since the breakdown she has reportedly lost all her friends, including close pal Nicole Richie, following her wild behavior. All of her friends have literally abandoned her, because they just don’t like the way she is living her life. It is being said that in the last few years, her dark side has really come out. Her friends, like Nicole, want to be supportive but they really can’t be around her too much, and that she is even being really volatile. So it may not actually have anything to do with self esteem at all, as it has been alleged the actress has been using drugs and alcohol to cope with her money problems and stuttering love life. Yep, it seems that even if Nicole Richie doesn’t want to be her friend, Mischa must be doing some pretty hard and heavy partying. You have to know it’s bad when Nicole Richie is judging your behaviour. Let’s hope for Mischa this is just a momentarily lapse, and she will be back in her elegant icon status sooner than later.

Photo: Jesal Parshotam, PacificCoastNews.com

PacificCoastNews.com

It seems like not that long ago when we were making some noise about Mischa Barton packing on the pounds. She was looking a little heavy in the thighs at one point, but seeing her now, I wonder if it was just a poor wardrobe choice on her part on that particular occasion. Either way, she must have heard the world wide noise on her new weight gain, as she has whittled it off in record time.In fact, her recent weight loss has happened SO fast, that Mischa is heading towards the scary skinny list at record breaking speed. But if you ask her, she will quickly tell you not to worry about her, that she is doing just fine and there is nothing wrong with the weight loss.

One minute, I’m too fat, the next I’m too skinny .Just so you guys know I’m happier and healthier than ever. Things are really well in Mischa world and I’ve just been watching what I eat.”

Normally ‘watching what I eat’ in Hollywood speak translates to….literally watching your food since you’re too afraid to eat it for fear of moving up to a whopping size zero. But Mischa says it’s all in the Pilates and yoga and some cutting back on the fatty foods. If it could only be that easy for the rest of US. All of this may be well and good for Mischa, but we’re keeping her on the watch list for the time being.

Greg Tidwell, PacificCoastNews.com

Kiera Knightley Tops the Scary Skinny List ~ I Don’t Want your Life

Did Mischa Barton Go to Rehab? ~ Bitten and Bound

The Celebrities Catwalk for Charity ~ Hollywire

MaxPPP, PacificCoastNews.com

Mischa Barton Looking Worse For Wear After a Night Out ~ I Don’t Want Your Life

Christie Brinkley Goes Attends Concert for Ex Hubby Billy Joel ~ Bitten and Bound

Angelina and the little Twinlets Come Out of Hiding ~ Hollywire

Santos, Varnedoe, PacificCoastNews.com

SNL Star Amy Poehler Gets Her Break Into Sit Coms ~ Hollywire

Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey Still Going Strong ~ Bitten and Bound

Mischa Barton Smokes at the Hugo Boss Party in Berlin ~ I Don’t Want Your Life