Where Is Amanda Bynes Now?
For plenty of people on the outside, celebrity can seem idyllic. The fashion, the parties, and of course the money can tease and tantalize those of us in the "civilian" world, possibly making us yearn for a spotlight we have little hope of attaining. But even the briefest look at Hollywood history reveals that there's truth to the old adage "Money can't buy happiness." Each generation of celebrities has its cautionary tales — examples that expose the harsh realities of immense success. Unfortunately, those examples often come in the form of child stars whose early fame ended in tragedy.
In the mid-1990s, Amanda Bynes joined the cast of Nickelodeon's "All That" and became a child star on the rise. However, a little more than a decade after headlines trumpeted her talent and bright future, Bynes became a near-constant feature in tabloids due to her personal struggles and public breakdowns. Now that some time has passed since Bynes started regularly making headlines, her one-time fans may well be wondering what she's up to today.
Bynes was a child star
Amanda Bynes kicked off her professional career acting in commercials when she was just 7 years old. Three years later, in 1996, she joined the cast of Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series "All That." Bynes quickly became a standout among fans, which led to receiving her own spin-off series "The Amanda Show." Over the course of its three seasons, Bynes earned her fair share of critical praise including four Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Television Actress. After "The Amanda Show" wrapped up in 2002, Bynes began her film career, starring opposite fellow child star Frankie Muniz in "Big Fat Liar" followed by "What a Girl Wants" in 2003.
While making and promoting those films, Bynes was also a lead on The WB's "What I Like About You" playing Holly Tyler, the younger sister of Jennie Garth's Val Tyler. The series ran for four years before ending in 2006. Both Bynes and the show earned multiple Teen Choice Awards. The actor closed out the 2000s with a starring role in the film "Hairspray" and began the 2010s playing Marianne Bryant in "Easy A." In June 2010, shortly before the release of "Easy A," Bynes took to Twitter to announce her retirement. She cited a loss of love for the craft as the reason for her early exit from the spotlight (via The Wrap). A month later, Bynes reversed her decision, again using Twitter for her announcement before deleting her account (via Entertainment Weekly).
She faced legal troubles and mental health issues
On April 6, 2012, news broke that Amanda Bynes had been arrested for driving under the influence (via E!). That story was followed by another on April 10 claiming Bynes was involved in a hit-and-run accident. Then, Bynes was charged with a second hit-and-run in August of 2012 as well as driving with a suspended license that September. In mid-2013, Bynes was arrested again, this time in New York on charges of reckless endangerment and marijuana possession (via NBC New York). Two months later, Bynes was placed on psychiatric hold after starting a fire in the driveway of a neighbor's home (via LA Times).
Also in 2013, she feuded with Courtney Love, Perez Hilton, and Jenny McCarthy on Twitter (via EW). In 2014, she used the platform to publicly accuse her father of physical, emotional, and sexual assault; she would later recant those claims, claiming a microchip implanted in her brain caused her to make these serious accusations (via Complex). Finally, Bynes closed out the year by announcing she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic depression (via E!), at the very least sharing a reason for her headline-making behavior.
Amanda Bynes became sober and started working on a degree
Amanda Bynes remained relatively quiet for several years after the chaotic period of 2012-2014. She eventually sat for an interview with Paper in 2018 during which she apologized for her past behavior. She also shared that she'd been sober for four years. As she began her road to recovery, Bynes enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, earning her associate's degree in 2019 before entering another program at the school (via People). In her Paper interview, Bynes expressed an interest in returning to acting one day. However, in 2019, she briefly returned to rehab after an apparent relapse (via People).
After that the former actor became active on Instagram. There, Bynes revealed a heart tattoo on her face and a septum piercing to match. She likewise announced her engagement to Paul Michael. The couple also shared news of a pregnancy, though her lawyer announced two months later that the actor was not, in fact, pregnant (via People). In April 2021, Bynes' lawyer also spoke with People ahead of her 35th birthday, telling the magazine that she was doing well and "lives by the beach, attends school and is enjoying meditation and Soul Cycle classes."
Her parents ended a nine-year conservatorship in 2022
In March of 2022, Variety reported that a judge ruled a conservatorship Amanda Bynes' mother Lynn Organ had maintained for the prior nine years was no longer necessary. Initially, Organ and Bynes' father Rick Bynes arranged for this conservatorship after the notorious driveway fire incident in 2013. Amanda Bynes' lawyer David A. Esquibias praised her parents for the support they provided her during those nine years. Their intent was always to end the arrangement once Bynes seemed capable of taking care of herself, which they determined was feasible in 2022.
Unfortunately, the end of this conservatorship didn't necessarily spell the end of Bynes' struggles. The following year, in March of 2023, she committed to joining a reunion of the original "All That" cast at a '90s-themed convention, but had to cancel at the last minute. "I've just been praying for her," Bynes' former "All That" co-star Kel Mitchell told Entertainment Tonight. "It's awesome to see she's doing better. Which is great. We're just continuing to pray for her on her journey, and it's answered prayers that she's doing a lot better."
She's still struggling but is actively seeking help
In September of 2023, TMZ reported that Amanda Bynes was in the process of removing the heart tattoo on her face after she was spotted in public and it appeared to be visibly faded. The outlet also summarized her year leading up to that point.
Bynes missed the "All That" reunion, it turned out, because she was seen wandering naked through downtown Los Angeles and placed in a psychiatric treatment facility as a result. Her one-time fiancé Paul Michael told TMZ that they ended their engagement just one week prior after a period of stability in their relationship came to a sudden end. In June, Los Angeles Cops determined that Bynes once again needed to undergo treatment. Then, in July, she voluntarily checked herself into a separate treatment center in Orange County.
From the sound of it, Bynes may still have been in the care of that same treatment facility at the time of her public outing in September. Previously, she was spotted running errands during designated times she was allowed to leave the facility while remaining in treatment.