Amanda Bynes once emerged as a promising Hollywood talent, securing her own television show due to her acting skills. However, after more than a decade away from the spotlight, she has resurfaced.
Now 39, Bynes looks almost unrecognizable since her last appearance in a major production—2010’s critically acclaimed romantic drama Easy A, where she starred alongside two-time Oscar-winner Emma Stone.
She has shifted from the glare of paparazzi to the focus of her cell phone, announcing plans to create content for OnlyFans, providing details on what subscribers can expect for $50 per month.
Since her last acting project, the former star of The Amanda Show has been anything but idle.
In June 2010, Bynes took to Twitter to express her disenchantment with acting, announcing her decision to quit.
“Being an actress isn’t as fun as it may seem. If I don’t love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it. I know 24 is a young age to retire, but you heard it here first,” she tweeted from her since-deleted account.
Eight years later, she elaborated on her reasons for leaving the industry in an interview with Paper Magazine, citing her final project as the catalyst.
“I literally couldn’t stand my appearance in [Easy A] and I didn’t like my performance,” Bynes shared with the magazine. “I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it.”
Two years into her retirement, she encountered legal troubles when she was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after grazing a police car with her black BMW at around 3 am in West Hollywood.
Bynes declined to take a breathalyzer test.
In 2012, she faced two hit-and-run charges in April and August, with the first incident occurring shortly after her DUI arrest.
In September, her license was suspended, and a few weeks later, her vehicle was impounded for driving with a suspended license, leading to additional charges.
In February 2014, she was convicted of reckless driving, sentenced to three years probation, and required to attend a three-month alcohol education program.
In September 2014, Bynes was again stopped by police for a suspected DUI, reportedly due to cannabis use, but the charges were eventually dropped.
In July 2013, she was admitted to a psychiatric facility after allegedly starting a fire in a woman’s driveway, and she returned to treatment the following year.
In October 2014, Bynes was once more placed in a mental health facility after posting a series of troubling tweets. A month later, she disclosed her bipolar diagnosis on social media.
During a 2018 interview with Paper Magazine, Bynes discussed how her acting career contributed to her body image struggles and subsequent drug addiction.
She revealed, “When [She’s the Man] came out and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for four to six months because I didn’t like how I looked when I was a boy.”
Bynes experimented with various substances, including cocaine and ecstasy, and admitted to abusing Adderall.
In August 2013, amid her mental health crisis, Bynes’ parents petitioned the court to temporarily grant them conservatorship over her.
This legal arrangement, typically for those unable to make decisions due to conditions like dementia or severe mental health issues, became permanent in October 2014.
The conservatorship was not lifted until 2022.
In January 2014, Bynes enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, although her studies were interrupted by ongoing mental health challenges.
She resumed her education in 2017 and graduated in 2019, despite a brief return to psychiatric care due to a stress-related relapse.
Bynes became engaged to Paul Michael in February 2020, but they ended their engagement in 2022.