Back in 2004, Nickelodeon launched a new show titled Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. The series aired for about three years and received decent ratings. It revolved around the lives of teenage students, with Devon Werkheiser in the lead role, alongside Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee in important supporting roles. The show also featured child actor Tylor Chase, who played Martin Qwerly, a recurring character. In 2005, Chase appeared on the television series Everybody Hates Chris, and in 2007 he made his film debut in Good Time Max. He remained active in film and television until 2011, when he was around 22 years old.
In 2012, Chase launched his own YouTube channel, where he primarily discussed his writing and poetry. In one of his introduction videos, he shared, “I have a passion for writing, and I will try to post pieces with inspirational topics and themes.” He uploaded his first video on May 7, 2012, and his last on May 31 of the same year. After that, he stopped posting altogether.
About eight years later, he self-published two books under the pen name “Shrine Tylor.” The first, A Vampire’s Salvation: Shrine and Ellen (The Tales of Shrine Book 1), was released in January, followed by SO BE IT: Says Jehovah (Shrine and Ellen Book 2) in July.
In 2025, concerns about Chase’s mental well-being began circulating online. More recently, a video went viral showing him homeless in Riverside, California. The footage, originally recorded in September, quickly became a source of concern for fans and former co-stars.
Later, Ned’s Declassified co-star Daniel Curtis Lee, who portrayed Simon “Cookie” Nelson, reunited with Chase. Lee shared a video of the two having a hot meal at a nearby pizzeria and FaceTiming Devon Werkheiser.
Sharing the video, Lee wrote: “Tylor Chase and Cookie reunite with Ned on FaceTime. Well fed and safe from the rain. Hotel secured! One step closer to long-term treatment.” He added, “PS: Tylor wants to livestream video games. Who can help?”
However, shortly after Chase was moved into a motel room, videos surfaced online showing the room in a disarray. Lee later shared his distress, saying he received a call from management reporting that the door had been left open, the refrigerator was overturned, and the microwave had been placed in the bathtub. “I just feel so devastated,” Lee said. “I am at a loss.”
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This was not the first time Lee had reached out. In September, he had previously shared a video describing an earlier meeting with Chase in Riverside, expressing how difficult the situation was and giving a shoutout to Chase’s mother, calling her a “fighter.”
Another former child actor, Shaun Weiss—who has publicly rebuilt his life after addiction—offered Chase a bed at a detox facility and a path toward long-term treatment.
Despite these efforts, Chase was reportedly found on the streets of Riverside again on Christmas Eve, during heavy rain. According to his family, the problem has been going on since 2015.
His father, Joseph Mendez Jr., told Daily Mail that the former child actor had struggled for over a decade with mental illness and substance abuse. “He’s a wonderful person when he’s Tylor,” he said, adding that the family had sought treatment options for years, including mental health care and substance-use support.
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According to his father, Chase has struggled with addiction since being diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2015. He recalled that in 2021 the family convinced Tylor to enter a rehabilitation program in Georgia, where his father works as a realtor, but Chase eventually rejected the treatment plan.
“He later chose to discontinue medication and resumed substance use,” his father said.
After that, Chase reportedly returned to California to live with his mother, Paula Moisio, a realtor in the Los Angeles area.
A later Daily Mail report stated that Chase was found digging in the dirt behind a 7-Eleven in Riverside. While he denied having a mental illness, he reportedly told reporters that he was taking Prozac, Adderall, Sudafed, Wellbutrin, and Zoloft, which he said were prescribed by a psychiatrist.
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His father emphasised that the family has long tried to help him, saying, “Ultimately, he must be willing to accept help.”
After the video went viral, several fans attempted to provide financial assistance, but Chase’s mother warned that giving him cash would only deepen his struggles. His situation has also sparked discussion around the well-being of child actors and the effect of early fame.
