Mischa Barton thinks being sectioned was a “good” thing. The former O.C. star was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold earlier this year but says she appreciated the chance to take time out and reassess her life. She said: “I went to the hospital because of pain with my wisdom teeth and I ended up getting ‘put in’, but that’s because I was so overwhelmingly stressed out and upset. “I think it was my teeth and the stress of having a new job and travelling. I was miserable. Actresses aren’t given the time to recover after stuff like that – you’re expected to bounce back from surgery and work right away again. “I was shocked it went that far but I think it was necessary for me to take that time out. I’m so much more settled and calm now. “Ultimately, it was a positive thing.” Despite the stigma associated with mental health issues, Mischa insists lots of people suffer from disorders and are hospitalised. She added to Heat magazine: “It’s something that could’ve happened to anyone – going into hospital and having a bad experience then being held on an involuntary psychiatric hold. It happens to more people than you’d know. It’s a common thing.”

Life goes on for Mischa Barton! Over a month since the CW network announced plans to halt production on fashion drama The Beautiful Life after just two episodes, the ill-fated show’s star is now looking for a new gig. “I’m just figuring out what my next move will be and really looking at a lot of different projects and figuring out what I want to do,” the star, 23, told Usmagazine.com. Although she told Us that “people really liked” the show — loosely based on executive producer Ashton Kutcher’s days as a model — she added that she’s moving on. “I just don’t think the time was right,” she said, “and that was just a really sh—y situation.” Still, the show’s quick cancellation isn’t discouraging Barton — who was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. for psychiatric evaluation in July — from sticking with the small screen as opposed to movies. “I think they’re both great,” she told Us. “These days, television is about just as good as movies… I’m looking forward to being part of something that is right in the future.”

Mischa Barton sparked a fight at a Halloween party. The former O.C. star was left furious when a reveller threw a drink over her at New York’s Park Bar on October 31 after she accidentally stepped on his foot, throwing her own beverage at the unnamed partygoer in retaliation. An onlooker said: “I was standing beside this guy at the bar when Mischa went past us carrying two drinks. “The next thing I knew he threw his drink over her back and she turned around and asked him: ‘Did you just throw a drink over me?’ “The man responded that the drink was in retaliation for Mischa stepping on his shoe and she threw one of her drinks in his face.” The incident took an ugly turn when the actress – who was dressed as a peacock – returned to her table and told her friends, who rushed to confront the man. The source added to Radar Online: “Within a few minutes one of her male friends came over to confront the guy and asked him to step outside. Mischa’s friend left but then he kept coming back every few minutes to complain.” The two men then allegedly fought on the dance floor before two bouncers came and threw out the instigator – who had “a gash to his head and his knee was all cut up”.

Actress Mischa Barton’s move to trademark her, name, signature and logo has met with opposition from a namesake Australian handbag company. The Queensland-based Mischa Accessories has even filed an objection with the IP Australia register to prevent Barton from trade marking her name in the country, reports The Daily Express. Whether Barton will follow the case legally is not yet known. The case bears resemblance to a trademark battle between Katy Perry and her Australian namesake Katie Perry, who runs a clothing line in the country.

Mischa Barton’s The Beautiful Life may have been short-lived, but the actress said the canceled CW series showed a lot of promise. In fact, she says, the best was yet to come. “We were really such a great show and the first two episodes were nothing. We shot amazing, big episodes – episodes four, five and six – and it’s stuff that no one will ever see”. “But they were unable to bring in an audience to it. It’s like they’ve got two other franchises going on there at the same time, and we got swallowed up,” she added of The CW. “It’s more their loss, I think. It could’ve been I think a really, really cool show.” And while the show may not have survived very long, Mischa said she was appreciative of the fans who hopped on board the “Beautiful” bandwagon while they could. “It was really sweet after [the show was canceled] because all these people Twittered the next day, like 10,000 people Twittered trying to save the show and stuff,” Mischa continued. “It reminded me how important the core fan base is. Whatever bulls**t gets written, you know you’ve got fans out there who care.” As for Mischa herself, who said she is “moving on” and looking at various film and TV scripts, following the series’ cancellation, she is enjoying adjusting to life spent on the East Coast. “I’m loving it!” she said of staying in New York. “All my girlfriends live here, so it’s nice to be bi-coastal and just go back and forth. I’m not giving up on Los Angeles, of course, but you know.”