Amanda Bynes News Update 2014: Actress Is Not Schizophrenic & Never Has Been, Says Her Lawyer
Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes took her life course on a dizzying descent toward mayhem last year, causing her to end up in an inpatient rehabilitation program while rumors about her antics and mental health status ran rampant.
The starlet's attorney Tamar Arminak spoke out to fans by way of an interview with People Magazine on Wednesday, after being asked by Bynes to "dispel certain rumors."
"There has been much speculation about Amanda's medical condition," Arminak said. "For the record, Amanda does not have schizophrenia, nor has she ever been diagnosed with it."
Her mental status underwent heavy scrutiny last year after Bynes began engaging in increasingly strange behavior. From run-ins with the police to obsessive and inappropriate Tweeting binges to an alleged marijuana dependence, the rumor mill on Bynes was in high gear for the majority of the past year.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bynes was held involuntarily at a psychiatric facility after setting a small inferno aflame in the driveway of one of her neighbors' houses.
The involuntary psych ward admission led to a lengthy rehabilitation stay and all the while Bynes continued to make headlines, remaining very much in the public eye. Over the past several months, however, the actress has immersed herself in her treatment program and seems to have made her way out of the dark place she inhabited throughout 2013.
A Bynes family source told People that the young actress continues to undergo outpatient therapy several times a week as she works through the causes of her past bizarre behavior.
During the People interview, Arminak also made clear that Bynes is and has been drug-free for a solid stretch of time.
"Amanda is currently on zero medication ... she's devoted to living her life as healthy as possible," Arminak said. "She's never had a history of abusing alcohol or hard drugs, and she's proud to say she's been marijuana-free for the past nine months."
Bynes is currently living with her parents in Los Angeles and will reportedly remain under her mother's legal control until at least September. She celebrated her 28th birthday this month and also took a spring break vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico with her family.
Bynes posted pictures on Twitter showing off her healthy new look and hot beach bod taken during her Mexico trip. There she also took time to show off loving photos of her with her mother and sister and also has taken to posting tweets that demonstrate her love for fashion as she embraces life as a student at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Orange County, Calif.
"[Amanda's] family is closely involved with her day-to-day life but they try to give her as much autonomy as possible," Arminak said. "She's doing extremely well. Her primary focus is bonding with her family and being a student."
-----
For the latest news & updates, follow reporter Bary Alyssa Johnson on Twitter: @MissBary