Ned’s Declassified Star Breaks Silence on Tylor Chase’s Homelessness — Here’s What They Said
After a viral video showed Ned’s Declassified alum Tylor Chase experiencing homelessness, series lead Devon Werkheiser spoke out, calling the situation heartbreaking.
This one is rough. A viral TikTok put former Ned's Declassified actor Tylor Chase back in the spotlight for the saddest reason, and now the show’s lead, Devon Werkheiser, is speaking up about it.
Who we’re talking about
Chase is a former child actor best known for playing fast-talking Martin Qwerly on Nickelodeon’s Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, which ran from 2004 to 2007. In September 2025, a TikTok video showed him in worn-out clothes, wandering the streets in California and appearing to be homeless. The clip blew up and drew attention from all over the country.
Devon Werkheiser reacts
Werkheiser told TMZ that seeing Chase like this genuinely hurts. He remembered him as a sweet, sensitive kid and said they haven’t crossed paths since the show wrapped nearly two decades ago. He also pointed out something a lot of people who have dealt with it know: addiction and serious mental health struggles are brutally hard to treat if the person doesn’t want help, and progress takes time, patience, and a lot of support.
"It is heartbreaking to see him this way... We all want a happy ending."
Devon hopes the recent attention leads someone with real resources and expertise to step in, get Chase into treatment, and help him stabilize.
What Chase’s family says
Chase’s father, Joseph Mendez Jr., told the Daily Mail that his son has been battling bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. According to Mendez, the family has been trying to get him help for more than a decade, including support for substance use and mental health care. About four years ago, Chase entered treatment in Georgia and made progress for a while, but later stopped taking his medication and relapsed into substance use.
How the situation spiraled
- September 2025: A TikTok video of Tylor Chase, appearing homeless in California, goes viral nationwide.
- Afterward: His father says the family has spent years seeking treatment; Chase has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and previously did a stint in treatment in Georgia before discontinuing meds and relapsing.
- A GoFundMe pops up to help with expenses, but his mother asks that it be taken down.
- Daniel Curtis Lee, who played Simon on Ned's, puts Chase up in a hotel temporarily. Hours after Lee leaves, the New York Post reports the room was trashed.
- Most recently: Werkheiser speaks to TMZ, calls the situation heartbreaking, and hopes qualified professionals can get Chase into proper care.
Where this leaves things
It’s upsetting and messy, and internet attention alone isn’t going to fix it. The best possible outcome is exactly what Werkheiser is pushing for: someone with the right training and resources stepping in to get Tylor into sustained, supportive treatment. Here’s hoping this story finds its way there.