Amanda Bynes Speaks Out on Conservatorship and Cost of Treatment

by Corinne Heller
Amanda Bynes is not happy about the cost of her medical treatment, and wants to speak to a judge about the terms of her conservatorship.

The 33-year-old retired Hairspray and She's The Man actress' mother has had control over her affairs and finances since she first underwent personal and legal turmoil that landed her in drug and mental health rehab facilities several years ago. The conservatorship is reportedly set to last until at least this August, and Bynes is meanwhile continuing her treatment as an outpatient.

"Today I want to talk about a controversial topic: My conservatorship case. I have been going to a treatment center that charges $5,200 a month," Bynes said in a video posted on Instagram on Friday night. "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," she said. "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! Bye!"

Bynes posted her video a week after she revealed on Instagram that she is engaged. She then used the platform to introduce her fiancé, Paul Michael. A source recently told E! News that "Amanda's parents are fully aware of her engagement and at this point are not approving Amanda to legally get married under the conservatorship."

A previous source confirmed to E! News that Bynes and Michael met in rehab and have been dating for about two or three months.

Paul Michael & Amanda Bynes - Instagram

Bynes was famously hospitalized on a 5150 psychiatric hold in 2013 after a few driving and drug-related arrests and after exhibiting erratic behavior, which included setting a small fire in her parents' neighbors' driveway and unleashing a barrage of strange tweets. She was later released to her parents' care and continued her treatment.

In 2014, her mother was granted a conservatorship of the actress and her estate, then valued at more than $5 million. Later that year, Bynes faced another DUI case, which was dropped amid a plea deal that put her on probation, and she was placed under another involuntary psychiatric hold. She spent 20 days at a treatment facility and tweeted that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic depression.

Bynes stopped acting amid her turmoil and enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. She graduated in 2019. Also that year, Bynes suffered a relapse and spent time in a treatment facility. She later lived temporarily in a sober living facility.

Bynes has rarely spoken about her turmoil, or her personal life. She gave a rare interview in 2017, her first in four years, in which she said she is three years sober, and hopes to act again. She also opened up about her turmoil in a Paper magazine interview in 2018, saying she used to abuse Adderall and that after she retired from acting, she felt she had "no purpose in life" and constantly got high on marijuana.

"My advice to anyone who is struggling with substance abuse would be to be really careful because drugs can really take a hold of your life," she said. "Everybody is different, obviously, but for me, the mixture of marijuana and whatever other drugs and sometimes drinking really messed up my brain. It really made me a completely different person. I actually am a nice person. I would never feel, say or do any of the things that I did and said to the people I hurt on Twitter."

On Thursday, Bynes took to Instagram to apologize again to everyone she called "ugly" on Twitter years ago.

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Amanda Bynes Speaks Out on Conservatorship and Cost of Treatment