The news of Mischa Barton’s hospitalization is something many friends said they saw coming after the OC starlet went on a drinking and drug binge. These photos were taken hours before the police were called to her house and poor Mischa looks disheveled and out of it. I really hope she gets the help she needs and gets better soon.

Dragging on a cigarette, Barton looked bloated, pasty and dazed as she slumped by a pool at a Los Angeles hotel. The fresh face, sparkling eyes, and million dollar smile were no longer evident when these photos were taken on Tuesday. Later that day, Mischa, 23, was escorted from her home by police and placed under involuntary psychiatric care the following day. Guests at the pool said of Barton’s condition: “She looked a mess. She was stumbling around the pool, smoking heavily and looked really dazed.”

Friends believe Mischa was in a downward spiral that would have ended badly. One said: “She’s on the edge. Her family saw her heading in the same direction as Amy Winehouse and Britney and were scared for her life.”

Apparently Barton has fallen in with a pretty wild crowd during a six month stay in London, where she was born. Pals said Mischa often partied until 3am and was becoming increasingly erratic. One said: “She would binge drink. Her body couldn’t cope.”

It’s a sad and disturbing turn for one of Hollywood’s most beautiful and talented actresses. Rumors that the actress has hit tough times since leaving The OC have followed her since her career has yet to regain the success it once did. According to friends “she thought she was bigger than the show, then she decided to return to her London roots and pushed her family away.“

“Beautiful Life” starring Mischa Barton: production postponed

Production on new The CW series “Beautiful Life,” starring Mischa Barton, has been postponed one week to July 31. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Barton’s hospitalization last week has nothing to do with the delay. Despite Barton’s widely publicized recent meltdown, sources close to the show say the reason for the delay is far more mundane: Some of the sets were not completed on time.

“Beautiful Life,” executive produced by Ashton Kutcher, revolves around a group of models living together in a coed residence in New York. On the series, which is scheduled to premiere September 16, Barton plays a supermodel and veteran of the high-fashion circuit who is struggling to keep on top and is in danger of slipping.