Daniel Curtis Lee says his attempt to help fellow former child actor Tylor Chase ended in chaos after the former Nickelodeon star allegedly ransacked a motel room paid for by his kind-hearted co-worker during a brief stopover in California.
Lee, who played “Cookie” on “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide,” said he drove from Los Angeles to Riverside after a viral TikTok video showed Chase homeless and living on the street.
The clip, which was initially posted online in September, showed a visibly upset Chase confirming his identity and acknowledging his past role on the Nickelodeon series.
Daniel Curtis Lee, right, said he rushed to help former co-star Tylor Chase after a viral video showed the former Nickelodeon actor homeless on the streets of California.
A TikTok video posted in September showed a visibly upset Tylor Chase confirming his identity and sparked widespread concern among fans. Instagram/Daniel Curtis Lee
The video sparked widespread concern and prompted fans to launch a GoFundMe campaign, which eventually raised $1,200 before being shut down by Chase’s mother — who warned that giving her son cash would worsen his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse.
The funds were instead used to buy food, clothes and other essentials, according to the TikToker who launched the GoFundMe.
Lee said he reached out directly, bought Chase a meal and paid for a motel room so he could ride out an approaching storm.
Within hours, Lee said, motel staff contacted him with alarming news.
Lee said he bought Chase a meal and paid for a motel room to get out of an approaching storm during a brief intervention in Riverside. SL, Terma / BACKGRID
According to Lee, the room was badly damaged. He said the door was left wide open, the refrigerator was turned upside down, and the microwave was placed in the bathtub.
Lee later shared the aftermath publicly, saying the experience was devastating but not entirely unexpected. He said Chase’s family had warned him about similar incidents in the past.
Hours later, Lee said motel staff called with alarming news about extensive damage to the room he had paid for. TikTok/@danielcurtislee
The actor said the episode highlighted how difficult it is to help someone dealing with severe psychiatric illness and addiction without long-term professional care.
Other former child stars tried to get in as well. Shaun Weiss, best known for playing goalie Greg Goldberg on Disney’s “The Mighty Ducks,” offered Chase a bed in a detox facility and a path to long-term treatment, drawing on his own recovery from addiction.
Chase has so far declined to take Weiss up on his offer, according to reports.
Chase’s father, Joseph Mendez Jr., said his son has struggled with serious mental health issues for more than a decade, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, along with substance abuse.
As of late December, Chase remains homeless in Southern California and continues to refuse sustained treatment, according to those trying to help him. Nickelodeon
Local authorities confirmed that outreach teams met with Chase regularly and repeatedly offered shelter, mental health services and drug treatment – all of which declined.
Lee said the motel incident made it clear that good intentions are not enough.
By the end of December, Chase remains homeless in Southern California and continues to refuse sustained treatment, leaving those trying to help him with few options and little clarity about what lies ahead.