A Timeline of Trainwreck: Amanda Bynes 2.0
Pint-sized former child star Amanda Bynes appeared to be on track to success when she debuted in the '90s. With these recent turn of events, however, the troubled 20-something has been getting laughs for all the wrong reasons.
Timeline for Catastrophe
Amanda’s bizarre behavior as of late has been on display in the digital and real worlds alike. She's tweeted several odd updates, been apprehended in her own apartment building for smoking pot and allegedly antagonized a photographer who was attempting to take her picture. Take a look at Amanda’s timeline of unfortunate events to see why her life seems to be spinning out of control in a way that is not super funny:
April 6, 2012 – PopWatch reported that Amanda received a DUI in West Hollywood. The police were on the scene when she unwittingly hit a parked vehicle. She refused to take a sobriety test, but this did not save her from receiving the DUI.
April 10, 2012 – TMZ reported an accusation was made against Bynes for hitting a vehicle on the 101 San Fernando Freeway and leaving the scene.
June 5, 2012 – Amanda received a formal DUI charge and pleaded not guilty, according to Gossip Cop. She then tweeted President Obama, entreating him to help her.
Aug. 5, 2012 –Bynes was accused of a Ventura Blvd hit-and-run accident, according to TMZ.
Sept. 5, 2012 – Seattle Times reported that Bynes pleaded not guilty on charges of a misdemeanor hit-and-run that occurred in August. If convicted, she could land up to one year in jail.
Sept. 16, 2012 –Bynes was stopped for driving while her license was suspended after hit-and-run charges were filed. See Digital Spy for more details.
Sept. 17, 2012 – Lindsay Lohan complained about the unfairness of her incarcerations in light of Amanda’s skating on punishment for any of her infractions, according to TMZ. Perhaps her Nickelodeon stardom somehow insulates her from incarceration.
Sept. 20, 2012 – NY Mag reported Bynes’ announcement of her plans to start her own line of designer fashions.
Sept. 21, 2012 – PopWatch reported that Amanda fired her lawyer, publicist and agent after a bout of isolationist and difficult behavior.
Nov. 1, 2012 – CP Entertainment reported that Amanda announced to US Weekly her plans to sue In Touch for printing a slanderous story about her naked stroll in a tanning salon.
Dec. 14, 2012 – LA Times reported Bynes agreed on a legal settlement with the aggrieved parties of April and August’s alleged hit-and-run incidents. Unfortunately, there were an two additional incidents of the same type.
Jan. 16, 2013 – ABC News noted that Amanda posted photos of her latest cheek piercings. These photos have since been removed.
Mar. 17, 2013 – According to the Hollywood Gossip, Bynes asserted that she invented the Internet shorthand "ILY" for "I love you" and "LOLOL."
May 10, 2013 - Amanda received a 3-year suspended sentence for moving violations, according to Huffington Post.
June 5, 2013 – Amanda declares engaged Liam Hemsworth: "Most Gorgeous Man on the Face of the Earth," according to Yahoo News.
Help for Amanda
Fox News provided some background on Amanda’s early years: She started her acting career at age 7, and perhaps her early childhood stardom deprived her of the balanced social and family stability that she needed and is responsible for destabilizing her life today.
According to Dr. Trevor Small, a clinical psychologist at Bridges to Recovery in Santa Monica, a sudden change in behavior—such as law-abiding to law-breaking behavior—can be an indication of serious mental health issues. Impulsive behavior, radical appearance changes, isolation, self-medication, drugs and alcohol are additional signs that her mental health could be at risk. Unfortunately for Amanda, being a celebrity is likely to exacerbate her problems and make her road to recovery a longer one. There is a lot of help for Amanda, but she needs to reach out and get it. She must take the first step in her recovery, and no one else can take that step for her.