Update (March 22, 2022):
A judge has officially ended actor Amanda Bynes' conservatorship, reports Buzzfeed News.
"The conservatorship is no longer needed or required, and therefore the petition for termination is granted," Ventura County Judge Roger Lund stated during a hearing on Tuesday. According to CNN, Amanda was not present in the courtroom when Judge Lund made the ruling.
Amanda, who is 35 years old, filed a request to terminate her nine-year conservatorship last month. The conservatorship was put in place in 2013, and appointed Amanda's mother, Lynn Bynes, as her conservator. Amanda's termination request was supported by both of her parents.
"Congratulations to Miss Bynes, and good luck," Judge Lund reportedly said at the end of the hearing.
In an official statement shared with People via her attorney David A. Esquibias, Amanda expressed gratitude for the support of her fans throughout her journey to end her conservatorship.
“Following today's decision by the judge to terminate my conservatorship, I would like to thank my fans for their love and well wishes during this time,” Amanda told People. “I would also like to thank my lawyer and my parents for their support over the last nine years. In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritize my well-being in this next chapter. I am excited about my upcoming endeavors — including my fragrance line — and look forward to sharing more when I can."
Update (March 10, 2022):
Amanda Bynes has returned to social media to thank fans for their support after it was reported that she had filed a request to terminate her conservatorship, with her parents’ support, earlier this month.
On March 8, Amanda shared her first post via a new Instagram account, @amanda.bynes1986. The post is a 12-second long video in which Amanda addresses fans directly, tagging a few publications in the caption. “What's up, Instagram? Amanda Bynes here. My court date is coming up in two weeks. I want to thank you all so much for your love and support. Peace out,” the star says in the video, facing the camera directly and signing off with a peace sign.
Since the first post, Amanda has gone on to share a few more snippets of her life with fans via non-conservatorship-related posts. Comments on all her posts are limited. Though the account is notably not verified, Amanda’s attorney, Tamar Arminak, confirmed its legitimacy to Buzzfeed News.
Buzzfeed News also notes that this is the second time Amanda has directly addressed her legal arrangement on social media. “Today, I want to talk about a controversial topic: my conservatorship case," she said in a video post from her old Instagram account in 2020. "I have been going to a treatment center that charges $5,200 a month. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t go to a therapist who takes my insurance for $5,000 less a month. This is why I've asked to see the judge next week regarding this conservatorship issue. Thank you so much guys for hearing me out. I’m sorry that this is what I’m dealing with, and I’m sorry that I put my problems onto the internet, but this is what life has come to. So, thank you guys so much for always supporting me. Love you all. Peace out. I appreciate your love and support. Love you guys.”
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Previously (March 1, 2022):
Amanda Bynes has officially filed a request to end her nine-year-old conservatorship, Page Six reported on February 25.
Amanda officially filed a petition to the Ventura County Superior Court in California on February 23, alongside a capacity declaration the day prior. A court hearing has been scheduled for March 22, 2022. Following Page Six’s report, Amanda’s attorney David A. Esquibias told People: "Amanda wishes to terminate her conservatorship. She believes her condition is improved and protection of the court is no longer necessary."
NBC News reports that while Amanda’s parents do not plan to attend the upcoming virtual hearing, they support her decision to end the agreement. "The parents are happy, thrilled to get this good news," the Bynes family's attorney, Tamar Arminak, told the publication. "The professionals say she is ready to make her own life choices and decisions and are so proud of her. They 100 percent support her decision to end the conservatorship."
Amanda’s mother, Lynn Bynes, was appointed as her conservator in August 2013, giving her control of the actor's affairs and estate after Amanda allegedly set fire to a driveway. As noted by People, the agreement was an emergency temporary conservatorship.
However, in October 2014, she was granted conservatorship of her daughter once again after Amanda was arrested for DUI, among other things. Amanda’s mother reportedly filed a petition that said Amanda “poses a substantial risk to herself, to others, and to property,” per People. A month later, Amanda announced via social media that she had been diagnosed with bipolar and manic-depressive disorder.
“My lawyer said if I comply with the courts and take my meds and see my psychologist and [psychiatrist] weekly then I will get unconserved. Thank GOD," the actor reportedly tweeted back then.
In August 2018, according to E! News, Amanda’s conservatorship agreement was extended again until 2020. "The conservatorship can end at any time prior to 2020, but both Amanda and her parents are on such good terms and happy with Amanda's life and future, the conservatorship is the last thing on their minds," Tamar Arminak stated to E! News at the time.
In an interview with Paper Magazine that same year, Amanda said her parents really helped her “get back on track.”
In September 2021, People reported Amanda’s next status report was scheduled for 2023. "Her conservatorship is not extended through March 2023. It is open day to day," Esquibias explained to the outlet. "A status report regarding her health and welfare was recently filed and approved by the court. By law, the next status report is due in two years. Her conservatorship will terminate when it is no longer convenient for Amanda."
In the wake of Amanda’s petition, many on social media are equating her case to Britney Spears’s complex legal battle, which came to an end this past November when a judge ruled in favor of terminating her legal guardianship after more than 13 years. However, Amanda’s attorney clarified her case has not been inspired by Spears at all. Rather, it’s been a long-time coming.
“Amanda's move to pull the plug on her conservatorship is years in the making, starting long before the #FreeBritney movement grew vocal last year,” Esquibias told TMZ. Amanda's attorney believes that the fact that Amanda filed the petition months after Britney’s case came to an end is “purely coincidental" — and Amanda's parental support is another indicator that the two stars' stories are similar, but not the same.
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