Amanda Bynes Returns to Spotlight With New Podcast

Amanda Bynes has returned to the spotlight after a decade away from Hollywood with a brand new podcast. The former actress recently debuted Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast on Spotify. The series will be available in both audio and video formats, marking Bynes' first on-camera project since the movie Easy A, with Emma Stone, in 2010.

The first episode of Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast finds the hosts chatting with Los Angeles tattoo artist Dahlia Moth, who met Bynes while working at a Spirit Halloween store a few years back. Over on Instagram, Bynes shared a photo from the first podcast episode, writing in the caption, "First episode of Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast done." She added, "Thank you [Dhalia Moth]!"

Bynes was a beloved child star who evolved into an A-list comedic actress in her teen and young adult years, but substance abuse issues caused her to spiral into depression and her mental and emotional issues became something she could no longer avoid. In a 2018 interview with Paper Magazine, Bynes spoke about seeing herself on screen in Easy A, explaining that she had a very different perception of herself than other viewers.

"I literally couldn't stand my appearance in that movie and I didn't like my performance. I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it," she said. Bynes went on to say, "I was high on marijuana when I saw that but for some reason it really started to affect me. I don't know if it was a drug-induced psychosis or what, but it affected my brain in a different way than it affects other people. It absolutely changed my perception of things."

"I saw it and I was convinced that I should never be on camera again and I officially retired on Twitter, which was, you know, also stupid," she continued. "If I was going to retire [the right way], I should've done it in a press statement — but I did it on Twitter. Real classy! But, you know, I was high and I was like, 'You know what? I am so over this,' so I just did it. But it was really foolish and I see that now. I was young and stupid."

After leaving acting behind, Bynes began attending the Los Angeles-based Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She graduated from the institution in 2019. She has faced other mental health challenges over the past few years but checked herself into rehab earlier this year to get help.