Mischa Barton makes her first public appearance

Washington, (ANI): Troubled actress Mischa Barton looked happy and healthy as she made her first public appearance since she was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold at a Los Angeles hospital earlier this month.

The London-born actress was placed under the care of doctors at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after reportedly suffering a meltdown. She smiled and waved to photographers outside L.A.'s LAX Airport before catching a flight to New York.

The former O.C. star is to resume filming her new TV show The Beautiful Life, reports Contactmusic. Shooting on the programme, created by Ashton Kutcher, was initially reported to have been delayed by Barton's hospitalisation, but bosses at The CW network insisted the hold-up was the result of unfinished sets.

The 23-year-old actress is set to play Sonja Stone, a catwalk beauty addicted to pills, on new show, which is tentatively scheduled to start filming on 31 July (09).