Amanda Bynes’ Fate Has Been Decided By A Judge
Amanda Bynes and the conservatorship that has controlled her life and finances for nearly a decade has been ruled on by a judge.
Former child star and retired actor Amanda Bynes has had her conservatorship ended by a California judge. Bynes has been under a conservatorship managed by her mother, Lynn Bynes, since 2013, following a mental-health evaluation hold due to an alleged erratic behavior. In the near-decade since then, her personal and financial decisions have been made via the conservatorship. It was ended by Ventura County judge Roger Lund in an apparently very brief hearing, at which Bynes was not present. The judge stated that as Lynn Bynes had filed for termination of the conservatorship and that it was no longer needed or required, it would cease. Several of Amanda Bynes’ former co-stars from the 1990s Nickelodeon children’s sketch show All That were present, as were several members of the social activist group that had previously been calling for the end of the legal situation.
Amanda Bynes started her career in show business at the age of 7, acting in commercials. She quickly became the breakout star of All That, and soon had her own spinoff show, The Amanda Show. Eventually, she began acting in young adult-oriented films like Big Fat Liar, and starred in a WB sitcom called What I Like About You. Other film roles in She’s The Man and Sydney White followed. During this period, Bynes was considered one of the most up-and-coming stars of her generation. However, Bynes has in recent years revealed that she began regularly using drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, and Adderall in this time period. By the late 2000s, parts had begun to slow and she was replaced in several starring roles. Her last credited role prior to her retirement was Easy A in 2010, in which she co-starred with Emma Stone.
The recently-terminated conservatorship was temporarily put in place after a series of alleged incidents that caused her family and fans to be concerned for her physical and mental health. In particular, she was charged with a DUI and reckless endangerment (in separate incidents that were later dismissed) and she allegedly set a fire in the driveway of a stranger. Sometime later, Amanda Bynes made a number of accusations against her parents via social media, and the conservatorship was extended. By all reports, Bynes has been sober for a number of years and her parents did not contest the termination of the conservatorship.
Legal conservatorships have been much discussed in recent years and become something of a cause célèbre. The very controversial and lengthy conservatorship of Amanda Bynes’ fellow former child star recently came to an end after years of protests and has been seen as a step towards greater public knowledge of the dangers of potential abuse. It is estimated that there may be as many as 1.3 million active conservatorships in the United States currently, which control $50 billion of assets; there is little oversight to these conservatorships once put in place. By all indications, Amanda Bynes’ family and the actor herself are happy to have the legal situation ended, and we wish the best for Bynes in the future.
