Amanda Bynes shocked onlookers with a rare public outing as she stepped out in Los Angeles on October 24th! The Hairspray actress and All That alum, 36, was photographed rocking black leggings and a flirty short sleeved crop top as she headed out for some Monday errands to a local pharmacy and to grab coffee. Amanda accessorized with black sneakers, gold statement earrings, a nose ring, and a white beaded handbag. She wore her long black hair in a casual ponytail. She also carried a beverage, a cell phone, and what appeared to be some keys.
Amanda’s rare sighting in LA comes amid news that she reconciled with ex Paul Michael — although according to an October 21 report by TMZ, their engagement is still officially off, and they’re only back to dating. The former “it girl” also took to Instagram stories earlier this month to reveal to fans that she’s in cosmetology school. “In cosmetology school to become a manicurist!” she captioned a mirror selfie taken at the college and shared on October 7. The Easy A actress also shared a snap of some creatively painted fingernails in black, silver, and pink.
Amanda’s re-emergence into public life comes after an admittedly rough time. The actress opened up about her battle with drug use in a November 2018 Paper Magazine interview, revealing that she first tried drugs at 16. “Later on it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy,” she told Paper, via PEOPLE magazine. “[I tried] cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice.” She also said she “definitely abused Adderall.”
PROUD OF YOU AMANDA BYNES
KEEP SHINING !!! #Amandabynes#amandabynesisfree#ABisfree pic.twitter.com/nZrd5gtRxj
— AmandaBynesIsFree (@BynesWhereis) October 7, 2022
It was after her 2010 appearance in Easy A with Emma Stone that Amanda says her “perception of things” changed. “I literally couldn’t stand my appearance in that movie and I didn’t like my performance,” she told the magazine. “I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it,” Bynes explains. “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.”
From there, she went down a difficult road, ultimately landing herself in a legal conservatorship in 2013. Thankfully, by March of 2022, a judge had lifted the conservatorship and Amanda regained her freedom. “I have no fear of the future,” she told Paper. “I’ve been through the worst and came out the other end and survived it so I just feel like it’s only up from here.”