Amanda Bynes’ Rocky Return to the Spotlight

Amanda Bynes has had one of the strangest careers in Hollywood history, and the results have been hard to track.

Bynes is one of the 1990s’ most iconic child stars, having turned a role on Nickelodeon‘s All That into her own variety show. The young comedian transitioned easily into adult work at first too, though as the years went on, she ran into trouble.

The advent of social media was huge for Bynes as well. The actress became one of the first stars to get famous for her unflinching honesty online, for better or for worse. In many ways, Bynes is now synonymous with the early years of Twitter, with a few hall of fame tweets still floating around.

After all the ups and downs, however, Bynes had a triumphant turnaround in the last two years. The actress returned to the spotlight for just a few interviews, and she even took a few hesitant steps back into the world of social media.

Unfortunately, those excursions led to a mild backslide for Bynes, who returned to rehab last month to get a refresher on her recovery. Fans were sad and confused to the see the actress seeking help so soon after her triumphant return, but she has yet to comment.

Here is a look at Bynes‘ public outbursts, recovery, and ongoing healing over the years.

Spring 2012 DUI Arrest

For Bynes, it all began in the spring of 2012. In March, Bynes posted her first odd, viral tweet. She also had her first run-in with police, when she was stopped for talking on the phone while driving in Los Angeles.

The following month Bynes was arrested for driving under the influence, though she refused a breathalyzer and a blood test on the scene. A confusing media firestorm followed, with Bynes showing up in the headlines week after week. She was repeatedly caught driving when she shouldn’t have been, rear-ending other vehicles and showing flippant disregard for traffic regulations.

Bynes and her family denied that she was using drugs, with her father telling PEOPLE that she “doesn’t drink” and was just “upset and emotional” over her arrest. However, TMZ published photos in September showing Bynes apparently smoking marijuana in her car and then driving aimlessly around Los Angeles for hours.

Ongoing Issues and Growing Twitter Fame

As Bynes’ issues went on, she developed a sardonic voice on Twitter that drew fans in. She claimed that all of the news stories about her were untrue, and even went to the highest office in the country to ask for help.

“I can’t help but laugh at all of you writing fake stories about me,” she wrote. “I was not in any hit and runs. I don’t drink so the DUI is false.”

“Hey @BarackObama… I don’t drink,” she tweeted later as her DUI case moved forward. “Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don’t hit and run. The end.”

‘Not Troubled’

Bynes issues carried on, both in L.A. and New York, where Bynes was reportedly kicked out of a spin class for trying to work out in lingerie, and seen walking around a tanning salon naked.

“I’m not ‘troubled,’” she said at the time. “I don’t get naked in public. I’m 26, a multimillionaire, retired. Please respect my privacy.”

Around the spring of 2013, Bynes also began to wear a number of outlandish wigs on public outings. She began using her platform on Twitter to go after other celebrities, tweeting that a number of the biggest stars were “ugly,” and making a famously lewd sexual request of Drake for all the world to see.

New York Arrest

Finally, in May of 2013 Bynes was arrested again for smoking marijuana in her New York City apartment building. Bynes reportedly threw her bong out the window as police came inside and told them that it was “just a vase.”

Bynes claimed that she was sexually harassed by the arresting officers.

Bynes’ outward comportion did not improve through her case over the arrest. Ultimately, she was placed on two involuntary psychiatric holds (one in July and one in August).

Rehab

Following her second psychiatric hold, Bynes was committed to rehab.

The actress dropped all social media use and went silent for the remainder of the year. She was released after five months, going free in December of 2013.

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise

Bynes reconciled with her parents after exiting rehab, and moved back in with them. They had been allowed to handle her affairs while she was getting treatment, and now they supported Bynes as she went back to school.

In her sparse social media posts, Bynes revealed that she was getting to the gym and following a number of healthy habits. However, for the most part she stayed away from the public eye, moving on from her shocking posts and public meltdowns of the past.

Retrospective Interview

After nearly four years of radio silence, Bynes returned to the spotlight for an interview with Hollyscoop in June of 2017. She was open and self-effacing in her conversation with host Diana Madison, admitting that drugs had played a big role in her previous scandals. She even owned up to the infamous Drake tweet.

“I was, like, saying, ‘Murder my vagina,’” she remembered. “I was serious, but I was also on drugs, so that was my way of saying like, ‘Let’s do it, man…’ It just means, like, ‘F– me, Drake!’”

Comeback Rumors

Last February, rumors began to circulate that Bynes was preparing for a comeback on the world stage.

After years of quiet study and hard work, insiders said the actress was planning a “triumphant return,” according to Us Weekly. The details of this comeback were vague, however, and Bynes never commented. She made a public appearance later in the year, but never made any moves to come back to TV or movies.

Confessional Interview

In November, Bynes got a little more confessional in an in-depth interview with Paper Magazine. There she was vulnerable and honest about her past with drugs and mental health, and the long road to recovery. The former actress had a strong sense of equilibrium, and had worked hard at school. However, she still felt that she had to work hard to earn back the public’s trust.

“I’m really ashamed and embarrassed with the things I said. I can’t turn back time but if I could, I would,” she said at the time. “And I’m so sorry to whoever I hurt and whoever I lied about because it truly eats away at me. It makes me feel so horrible and sick to my stomach and sad. Everything I worked my whole life to achieve, I kind of ruined it all through Twitter. It’s definitely not Twitter’s fault — it’s my own fault.”

Return to Rehab

The interview brought Bynes back into the spotlight, and it was endearing to many fans, who remembered her Twitter presence fondly. However, an insider said in December that Bynes need to stay off of social media to maintain her happiness and stability.

In spite of that, the increased visibility reportedly got to the actress. Last month, sources told Us Weekly that Bynes had returned to rehab in January, as the pressure of her interview got to her.

“Amanda went to rehab … after suffering a setback which was the result of feeling pressure of being back in the spotlight after her Paper magazine cover,” an insider said. “Amanda is continuing treatment with the assistance of mental health counselors and addiction specialists.”

Bynes has not updated fans on her status directly since November.