Ezra Miller has finally issued a public acknowledgement and apology for their string of arrests and erratic behavior that have kept the Flash actor in headlines since April. In a statement given to Variety, Miller wrote, “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. “I want to apologize 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.”
It seems likely that Miller’s apology was spurred by Warner Bros.’ vested interest in keeping the Flash movie starring Miller alive and opening next June. The studio has a lot riding on this DC blockbuster, and it was built around an increasingly problematic star. Unlike Batgirl, which was unceremoniously axed this month as a tax writeoff, Flash has higher stakes that make outright canceling it a less-than-appealing option. The film, which has already completed production, boasts a $200 million budget (compared to Batgirl’s $90 million) and, given the character’s ability to hop timelines and universes, represents an opportunity to reorient the shaky DC extended universe. (Plus, it has cameos from two past Batmen: Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck.)
Last week, the Hollywood Reporter said via a source that Warner Bros had discussed three options on how to proceed. Option 1: Miller seeks professional help, eventually returning to do limited press in which they, now in a healthier place, discuss and explain their past (way in the past!) behavior. Option 2: Miller does not seek help, and is kept out of all publicity. Option 3: Kill the movie. It would appear that Option 1 has won out.
Rolling Stone reported in June that Miller had a woman and her three young children living on their Vermont property, where there were reportedly “unattended guns strewn around the home” and an unlicensed marijuana farm being operated. (The mother in question told the magazine that Miller helped them get away from her violent ex and called it a “safe environment,” though Vermont Child Services is currently looking for her and her kids to issue “an emergency care order.”)
Earlier in August, Miller was arrested in Vermont and charged with burglary after allegedly taking alcohol from a home when the owners were gone. Miller was also arrested twice in Hawaii this April, for second-degree assault as well as disorderly conduct.
In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller spoke about the connection between celebrity and mental health issues. “If you watch the world, the cults of celebrity and the fanatics of celebrities, that’s what governs the world now,” Miller said. “So, you’re a politician or you’re whoever, you’re just a celebrity with a fan club, like me. You know? And we’re all probably mentally ill. I watch television or the news and I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s my people. We’re all mentally ill together. Cool.'” In another 2018 interview with Vulture, Miller spoke about grappling with mental health issues since their teenage years, and how working in film contributed to that.
