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What's going on with Ezra Miller? A look at the ongoing scandals

Miller has gone from an indie darling to a key player in Warner Bros. DC superhero franchise.
Craig Barritt
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Getty Images For TIME
Miller has gone from an indie darling to a key player in Warner Bros. DC superhero franchise.

Updated August 16, 2022 at 10:18 AM ET

Actor Ezra Miller is getting mental health treatment after a series of brushes with the law.

"Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment," Miller said in a statement.

Miller apologized "to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life."

Vermont state police had charged Miller with felony burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in the latest incident.

Miller, who lives in Vermont, is perhaps best known as The Flash in Warner Bros' DC superhero franchise. The Flash's own solo movie is still set to be released in 2023 – even as the studio has canceled a number of nearly completed movies, such as Batgirl.

In March 2022, Miller was arrested in Hilo, Hawaii, and charged with disorderly conduct and harassment after an incident at a karaoke bar where Miller allegedly got agitated at a couple for singing the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper song "Shallow." A month later, Miller was arrested again for allegedly throwing a chair at a woman, injuring her forehead.

In June, two parents – Chase Iron Eyes and Sara Jumping Eagle – obtained a protective order against Miller for allegedly physically and emotionally abusing their 18-year-old daughter. This is according to court documents seen by both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times. The petition reportedly accuses Miller of giving the daughter alcohol and drugs, and says Miller displayed "cult-like and psychologically manipulative behavior."

Later that month, The Daily Beast spoke anonymously with a 12-year-old and their mother who had another protection order signed by a judge. The family, as well as a neighbor, allege that Miller came to the family's home in Greenfield, Mass., and began yelling at them about cultural appropriation. Miller then returned to the family's house multiple times, and allegedly made the child uncomfortable by hugging them closely.

A mother then spoke to Rolling Stone about living with Miller in Vermont with her three kids, saying Miller helped her escape a "violent and abusive ex." Sources alleged to Rolling Stone that the property was littered with unattended guns and bullets, and there was frequent marijuana use in front of the children.

NPR has reached out to representatives of Miller for comment.

Miller has been playing The Flash on film since 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the character has been an integral part of the Warner Bros. attempts to rival Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told investors in a recent earnings call that the company plans on using their characters to mimic Marvel's success, saying, "DC is something we can make better."

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Andrew Limbong is a reporter for NPR's Arts Desk, where he does pieces on anything remotely related to arts or culture, from streamers looking for mental health on Twitch to Britney Spears' fight over her conservatorship. He's also covered the near collapse of the live music industry during the coronavirus pandemic. He's the host of NPR's Book of the Day podcast and a frequent host on Life Kit.
Barbara Campbell