Amanda Bynes makes first statement after conservatorship terminated by judge: ‘Thank you’
Amanda Bynes says she is ready to put herself and her well-being first after a judge officially ended her nine-year conservatorship.
Just months after singer Britney Spears was freed from her controversial court-appointed guardianship, the former Nickelodeon star has also been allowed to regain control of her own personal and financial decisions.
The 35-year-old had been under the legal arrangement for almost a decade, with a judge appointing her mother as her conservator while the actress was undergoing psychiatric care in 2014.
Following the news that a judge agreed to end the conservatorship on Tuesday (March 22), Amanda Bynes shared a statement through her lawyer, David A. Esquibias.
“In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritise my well-being in this next chapter,” the statement began.
“I am excited about my upcoming endeavours — including my fragrance line — and look forward to sharing more when I can.”
The She’s The Man actor went on to thank everyone who has stood by her over the years, including her parents.
“Following today’s decision by the judge to terminate my conservatorship, I would like to thank my fans for their love and well wishes during this time,” she added. “I would also like to thank my lawyer and my parents for their support over the last nine years.”
In 2013, Amanda Bynes’ parents, Rick Bynes and Lynn Organ, petitioned the court for a conservatorship when their daughter allegedly set a driveway on fire and was hospitalised on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
In 2014, her mother was granted a full conservatorship, becoming her official conservator.
According to the actor’s lawyer, her parents have both been “very supportive” throughout the entire conservatorship and have helped her work towards a positive transition into the real world, which was the goal from the beginning of the legal arrangement.
Bynes is currently a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree and has reportedly been living in a structured community for women in need since 2020.