Amanda Bynes Was Reportedly in ‘Talks’ for Joining ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 28

Season 28 of Dancing With the Stars could have turned out completely different had Amanda Bynes been involved, as the show initially planned — but it wasn’t in the stars for the All That actress. A source told Us Weekly this week that Bynes, 33, “was in talks” to compete on the current season of DWTS, but it “didn’t pan out.”

“Doing [the show] just wasn’t what she envisioned for her future,” another source said, adding that “she’s taking things one day at a time.”

Had Bynes joined the cast of DWTS, she could have reunited with All That co-star Kel Mitchell, who is still dancing his way through the competition with pro partner Witney Carson. Earlier this summer, Mitchell told Us Weekly that he hoped Bynes would make an appearance on the ongoing All That reboot.

“That’s going to happen. I mean, I hope it happens,” he said. “You know what I mean? I want everybody to come through … I think she would do a great job, you know?”

At the DWTS cast reveal in August, Mitchell told In Touch Weekly that Bynes joining the cast of the All That reboot was still a possibility. “We have talked about having [her] come through, so that would be awesome,” the Good Burger star, 44, said. “She might be in the future. It would be great.”

As far as her health at the time, Mitchell added, “Oh yeah, she’s doing great! She was in fashion school and just graduated and is doing really well.”

Late last month, it was reported that Bynes moved into a sober living group home after reportedly suffering a relapse. Sources told The Blast at the time that Bynes began staying in the group home under the advice of her family and doctors, who felt it was “the best place” for her.

The sources alleged that Bynes was “not doing well” and that several signs in recent months pointed to her entering an unhealthy headspace. However, they added that she was focusing on “sober living” at the time.

Bynes returned to Instagram in September, debuting a new bright pink hairstyle at the same time. She concerned fans earlier this month when she was photographed with a large bruise on her left thigh when leaving a nail salon.

In November 2018, Bynes began her attempted return to the spotlight in an interview with PAPER Magazine, in which she detailed her struggles with drug abuse, which included her infamous bizarre tweets and odd behavior over the past decade.

“Those days of experimenting [with substances] are long over. I’m not sad about it and I don’t miss it because I really feel ashamed of how those substances made me act,” Bynes said at the time. “When I was off of them, I was completely back to normal and immediately realized what I had done — it was like an alien had literally invaded my body. That is such a strange feeling.”

But the attention brought a negative impact. In January, Bynes checked into a Los Angeles rehab facility, reportedly feeling too much pressure to work in Hollywood again. She was reportedly treated for mental health issues and drug addiction. She’s still under conservatorship, with the court and her mother in control of her medical treatment and finances.

In April, Bynes’ lawyer, Tamar Arminak, told Access Hollywood she was seeking treatment again.

“I will tell you she’s doing remarkably well under the circumstances. This time around she realized herself after the recent PAPER Magazine interview and spread that she really wasn’t feeling like herself all of [a] sudden and that she wanted to address that. She wanted to address it right away before going back into show business and exploring show business again,” Arminak said at the time. “And it was her decision and her choice to address the situation, seek treatment which I think is an incredibly mature way of handling this type of thing.”

Do you think Bynes will make an appearance on the All That reboot or a future season of Dancing With the Stars? Share your thoughts in the comments below.