Why Is Tylor Chase Not Getting Help?

In a rather unfortunate bit of news, pictures and videos have surfaced of actor Tylor Chase living rough on the streets of Riverside, California. For a generation of us who grew up watching Nickelodeon in the mid 2000s, Chase is best remembered for his role as Martin Qwerly in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Dealing with homelessness, substance abuse problems and untreated mental health issues, fans and concerned bystanders alike have raised questions as to why someone as publicly known as Chase is still living on the streets despite the wide media coverage about his circumstances.

Turns out, the situation is far more complicated than it appears to be at first glance. This article is a stark reminder that even well-known and talented individuals can be vulnerable to very human struggles and rather than point fingers, it will explore what exactly is happening, why and what can be done.

Let's take a deeper look into it.

Who Is Tylor Chase?

Born Tyler Kurtis Mendez, Chase was born on September 6 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona. Chase took up acting in his teens after his family moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles. It was at this time that he got his first and most well-known role as Martin Qweerly in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Chase had also appeared on Everybody Hates Chris as well as in the feature film, Good Time Max. He even forayed into the world of voice acting with a role in the 2011 video game L.A. Noire. His voice acting role remains his most recent acting credit to date.

In the 2010s, Chase appeared to step away from the acting scene and entered the world of content creation. Launching a YouTube channel, Chase began to speak candidly about his struggles with bipolar disorder and also wrote poetry about his condition. He continued doing this until around 2021 after which he appeared to have fallen off the radar.

Homelessness And Renewed Attention

Beginning in September 2025, clips of Chase being spotted living on the streets of Riverside, California started circulating around social media. Seen in tattered clothing and appearing dishevelled, it became apparent that the former actor was struggling.

Fans. well wishers and curious onlookers quickly began searching for Chase with some offering assistance and others exposure to Chase's situation. The news soon reached Hollywood and it seemed that efforts were being made to help Chase out.

A GoFundMe had been set up for Chase while his former Nickelodeon co-star, Daniel Curtis Lee, made efforts to secure temporary accommodation for him. Unfortunately, the story did not end here. The GoFundMe established to help Chase, which had raised just over a thousand dollars, was abruptly shut down at the insistence of Chase's mother who asserted that her son was more in need of medical help than money. Chase was also seen living back on the street despite accommodation having already been found for him too.

As a result of these unfortunate developments, the public has directed their ire towards the authorities over their perceived lack of involvement in the matter. Once again, things were not as clear cut as most would like for them to appear.

The Reality Of The Situation

When approached to give their thoughts on the matter, the Riverside police revealed that they were already familiar with Chase and his situation, meeting him on a weekly basis. However, they also stated that the extent of the assistance they can give or actions they can take are limited by the laws of the state of California.

Under California law, an individual cannot be forced into entering a rehab, detox or any kind of medical or psychiatric facility unless they are determined to be of unsound mind and an immediate danger. Chase himself had been placed on an involuntary 72 hour hold but was later released after no longer being deemed a danger.

The police also clarified that under California law, possession and being under the influence are misdemeanour offences. This means that even if arrested, Chase would not face any major jail time or find himself sentenced to any kind of treatment facility by a judge and therefore, he would quickly find himself back on the street if he does not choose to receive help.

Fellow actor Shaun Weiss, who himself had struggled with addiction and homelessness in California, personally attested to these claims. Weiss, now a career coach, had pledged to help Chase, having found him a place in a long term treatment facility. However, he also conceded that while assistance and resources are widely available, the final say still lies with Chase himself. Thus, Chase must first make a conscious decision to accept help before anything substantial can be done for him.

What Can Be Done?

As bleak as it sounds, there isn't much that anyone else can do at the moment to help give Tylor Chase the assistance he needs. Calls for greater intervention can only go so far as California's consent based approach to assisting those with substance and mental health issues means that the person in question must first be willing to accept help themselves.

In the meantime however, Shaun Weiss has urged fans to not go looking for Chase or to treat him like a tourist attraction. Weiss mentioned that hounding him for photos will only force him to withdraw further and stressed that due to his addiction issues, giving him money would also do more harm than good.

Thus the best thing to do is to give Chase the space he needs to open up and accept the help he needs on his own accord. The real tragedy of the situation is not a case of personal failure or systemic indifference, it is the fact that there is nobody truly at fault here. Chase's struggles are real and human while the laws put in place were meant to avoid the unfair confinement of struggling but otherwise well meaning citizens.

It just so happens that in this case, the same laws that safeguard Chase's right to consent to his own treatment are unfortunately the very same thing hindering him from getting quick and substantial help.

If this current situation has taught us anything, it shows that nobody, whether they are publicly known, successful or talented, is immune from personal struggles. Let us continue to hope for the best for Tylor Chase and also hope that his case can serve to raise awareness about how we should treat others and help point them towards the direction of receiving the assistance they need.