Amanda Bynes Makes Rare Public Appearance With 50 Cent

50 Cent had a special guest in the audience, and backstage, during the first weekend of his Las Vegas residency: Amanda Bynes. The Nickelodeon alum, who rose to fame on All That and The Amanda Show, made a rare appearance at the PH Live Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, where she met up with the “In Da Club” rapper for a backstage meet-and-greet.

Video shared to X on Dec. 30 showed Bynes, 38, posing with 50 Cent, 49, for a picture backstage before she thanked him, saying, “Thank you so much.” For the outing, Bynes donned a navy blue jacket over an all-white ensemble, which she paired with white sneakers. The rapper, meanwhile, wore an all-black leather outfit, Nike sneakers, and a Yankees ballcap.

Sources told TMZ that Bynes met up with 50 Cent for the meet-and-greet after enjoying the show, the rapper’s second show of his residency, with a friend. The star was described as being “relaxed and happy while mingling with fans” during the performance. During her brief time backstage, she was reportedly overheard telling 50 Cent about a screenplay she’s been working on and said she’s “been a fan of 50 Cent for years.”

Once a big-name star who rose to fame on Nickelodeon through shows including All That and The Amanda Show before transitioning into an A-list comedic actress in her teen and young adult years, Bynes quit acting in 2010 and largely retreated from the public eye. In the years that followed, Bynes struggled with her mental health and substance abuse and was ultimately placed under a legal conservatorship overseen by her parents. She and her parents mutually agreed to end her conservatorship in March of 2022.

Her weekend outing followed a string of recent public appearances and comes after Bynes, who in 2019 graduated from the Los Angeles-based Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, cohosted an art show and clothing pop-up last month. Bynes first announced the show in October, at the time writing, “My associate’s of art degree majoring in product development at FIDM paid off.” Bynes co-hosted the show with apparel designer Austin Babbitt in West Hollywood, with sources telling the Daily Mail that the show helped her showcase her “latest love” and Bynes was “happy and relaxed” while hosting. As for a possible return to acting? Sources told the outlet “minor miracle.”