Amanda Bynes has filed paperwork to end the conservatorship that’s been controlling her finances for close to a decade.
According to TMZ, the former Nickelodeon star filed paperwork with Ventura County Superior Court on Wednesday to end the conservatorship. Amanda’s mother Lynne Bynes currently serves as her conservator. The actress was given a hearing date of March 22 where her request will be heard in front of a judge.
Amanda’s lawyer, David A. Esquibias, said that she feels her mental state is improved to the point where she can take hold of her estate. “Amanda wishes to terminate her conservatorship,” Esquibias told PEOPLE. “She believes her condition is improved and protection of the court is no longer necessary.”
The news comes only months after a judge agreed to extend the conservatorship until at least 2023 last September.
The former Amanda Show star was placed under a conservatorship in 2013 after a series of worrisome neighbours. This included making a variety of bizarre allegations and comments on social media, soaking her dog in gasoline, and setting a neighbor’s driveway on fire.
At the time, the former child star was put in a psychiatric facility under a 5150 psychiatric hold. Following this, she was placed in the care of her parents and the conservatorship put in place.
Particularly in recent years, Amanda has been vocal about wanting to get out of the conservatorship. In February 2020, she shared a video to social media where she expressed frustration over the cost of her medical treatment.
“I have been going to a treatment center that charges $5,200 a month," she said in the clip . "There's no reason why I shouldn't go to a therapist who takes my insurance for $5,000 less a month. This is why I've asked to see the judge next week regarding this conservatorship issue."
In a conservatorship, the court appoints a person to legally act as a guardian of the person’s estate, giving them power over their financial and personal affairs after the individual in question is deemed unfit to care for themselves.
Amanda was one of the most in-demand actresses in the early 2000s, with starring roles in movies like She’s The Man and Sydney White. Nowadays, she’s estimated to have a net worth of $3 million, but it’s unclear to what degree she’s able to control it.
Celebrity conservatorships have been a source of public debate following the #FreeBritney movementand Britney Spears’ release from a conservatorship that spanned over a decade. The singer has reportedly signed a $15 million book deal where she plans to disclose details of the arrangement that she’s previously described as “abusive” and says she wants to sue her whole family for.
Sources: TMZ, PEOPLE Magazine, E! News, Celebrity Net Worth,
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