Amanda Bynes is free from her conservatorship! The 35-year-old actress’s time under the conservatorship came to an end on March 22 after a judge ruled to have her released from it, according to TMZ. Amanda’s mother will no longer be her conservator, a role she’s held since 2013. The decision came after a tentative ruling was made on March 21, but the judge made it official less than 10 minutes into a court hearing one day later.
Amanda was not present at the March 22 hearing, but her attorney was in court to speak on her behalf, according to Variety. This ruling ended the conservatorship of both Amanda’s person and estate, which means she’ll be able to oversee her own life and finances.
Amanda was placed in the conservatorship after she went through some mental health troubles back in July 2013. The actress had gotten into some trouble in 2012 when she was charged with driving under the influence (which was later dropped). She was charged with reckless endangerment and marijuana possession in 2013 and was arrested for allegedly starting a fire in her driveway. Amid her troubles, she was placed on a 72-hour mental health evaluation hold, which eventually lead to her conservatorship.
Early in 2022, Amanda began making moves to have the conservatorship removed. She filed court documents on February 23 in Ventura County to dissolve the conservatorship over herself and her estate, which her mom Lynn has held since 2013. Prior to her hearing, she was required to submit a capacity declaration, which includes records of her mental health, and a hearing was set for March 22.
With her mom as conservator, it seems like Amanda won’t have any resistance from her parents as she files to have the legal status ended. A source close to the family told HollywoodLife exclusively that both her mom and dad were on-board with her being freed from the conservatorship. “Amanda‘s parents, which also includes her father Rick, are so supportive of their daughter and all they ever wanted was for her to be happy and healthy,” the insider said. “They are so proud of how far she’s come and they completely back her decision to end the conservatorship.”
It’s exciting to see what Amanda has in store now that she’s no longer under the conservatorship. Amanda has been engaged to her fiancé Paul Michael since early 2020. While the pair have kept mum on their wedding plans, fans have started to wonder if they got married in secret, after Paul was seen wearing a gold band on his finger in September 2021.