Content warning: This article has mentions of self-harm; reader discretion advised.
Amanda Bynes had a very promising Hollywood career ahead of her. The actress found her footing in the entertainment industry with her work at Nickelodeon. However, it wouldn’t be long before a very public fall from grace. Bynes’ problems started when the actor received a DUI for a minor car accident, after which she found herself facing charges of reckless endangerment and marijuana possession a year later.
Both charges were dropped in 2014, with Bynes being sentenced to probation, a fine, and alcohol education classes. Between her arrest for the DUI in 2012 and the charges being dropped in 2014, there was a completely different set of problems plaguing her life. Bynes had taken to her social media to put out several problematic tweets, including an inappropriate message to singer and rapper Drake.
Bynes also had a very public mental health struggle. In 2013, she was committed to a two-week psychiatric hold after an incident in which she allegedly started a fire. Following this, she was placed in a temporary conservatorship. After spending six months in a rehabilitation center, she would take to Twitter to accuse her father of abuse when she was a child. She later reversed these claims, saying that it was all the result of a microchip in her brain that her father had had inserted. She was then diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
One post on X (formerly Twitter) read:
It’s time to stop making fun of Amanda Bynes. She’s been open about her struggles with mental health, including bipolar disorder, and it takes courage to share that. Instead of tearing her down, we should show compassion and support her journey. Kindness matters.
— sixfootcandy (@sixfootcandy) December 23, 2024
The actress’s life has had its fair share of ups and downs since then. Bynes has been reportedly sober since 2014. She had talked about her run-in with substance abuse extensively. In 2019, she graduated from California’s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. She got engaged in 2020, but is no longer with her partner.
Bynes would end her conservatorship in 2022, something that her parents were completely on board with. However, she would find herself in a psychiatric hold for 72 hours once again. This was owing to her allegedly having a breakdown, which led to her walking the streets of Los Angeles without clothing. She would later be taken to another mental health facility after she allegedly called law enforcement, saying that she might harm herself.
Another user quoted what NBC News reported on X:
Amanda Bynes is living in transitional living and doing therapy during the week. In March 2023, Bynes was placed in a 72-hour psychiatric hold. -NBC News pic.twitter.com/nBmBA7gPIZ
— Sahin (@Sahin_OG) September 10, 2024
Since then, Bynes has made a comeback online with her podcast, which she cohosts with Paul Sieminski.
