Actress Amanda Bynes admitted to psychiatric hospital
The star of ‘She’s the Man,’ who suffers from bipolar disorder, was found wandering naked through the streets of Los Angeles
Amanda Bynes has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after she was found wandering naked and disoriented through the streets of Los Angeles. The 36-year-old actress, known for her roles in children’s TV shows such as The Amanda Show and the movie Hairspray (2007), was seen walking aimlessly on Sunday morning, as reported by entertainment news site TMZ. According to TMZ, Bynes herself called emergency services to report that she had just had a psychotic episode.
Before calling 911, Bynes stopped a driver and asked them for help. The driver took her to a nearby police station, where she was treated by a specialized mental health team. This team decided to place her under the guardianship of a psychiatric hospital through a procedure known as 5051 psych hold, which allows specialized mental health doctors, police officers and even family members to admit individuals who present a danger to themselves or to others without their permission. This procedure usually lasts 72 hours, but it can be extended.
Last week, Bynes was scheduled to reunite with her All That costars at the ‘90s Con in Connecticut. The event — held to celebrate stars and shows from the 1990s — featured actors such as Tori Spelling, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth and Melissa Joan Hart. But Bynes canceled her appearance due to illness.
Bynes began working in the film and TV industry when she was seven. Over time, she went from child star to one of the most recognizable faces in teen rom-coms, starring in hit movies such as She’s the Man and What a Girl Wants. In 2007, her career took another leap forward thanks to her role in Hairspray, for which was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. But in 2010, just as she began to move away from children’s TV and movies, she announced that she was quitting acting.
From 2012, she began to make headlines for drug possession, driving under the influence and throwing a bong out the window when confronted by police in her apartment. Concern about her behavior grew after she shaved off her hair and reportedly set her pants on fire.
In 2013, Bynes agreed to be admitted to a detox center and, in December of that same year, her parents were granted a temporary conservatorship, which was extended for nine years.
A year later, in 2014, she accused her father of being “verbally and physically” abusive in a message on Twitter. Months later, she said that her father had never abused her, but “the microchip in my brain made me say those things.” “He’s the one that ordered them to microchip me,” she added. In a later message on Twitter, Bynes announced that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In 2018, Bynes announced that she had been sober for the past four years and apologized for what she had done during her years of substance abuse.
She also took to Twitter again to apologize for everything she said during that time. “I’m really ashamed and embarrassed with the things I said. I can’t turn back time but if I could, I would. And I’m so sorry to whoever I hurt and whoever I lied about because it truly eats away at me,” she told PAPER magazine in 2018.
But in 2019 she relapsed and was admitted again to a psychiatric center. The pressure of returning to the limelight had reportedly taken a toll on her mental health. Away from the cameras and spotlights, she kept a low profile, even graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2019.
In 2022, following in the footsteps of Britney Spears, Bynes successfully petitioned for an end to her parent’s conservatorship. “The conservatorship is no longer needed,” the judge overseeing the case stated. Bynes’ attorney, David A. Esquibias, told TMZ that her parents agreed that she had made significant progress in managing her bipolar disorder. After the judge’s ruling, the actress posted a headline on Instagram, with the caption: “I’m a bird that now I can fly [sic].” The end of the conservatorship meant that Bynes once again had control of her fortune, which is estimated at $6 million.
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