Bynes' Parents Granted Conservatorship

It comes as no surprise that this has finally happened, but the final straw seems somewhat bizarre. At least, to me. It's a sad but true fact that Amanda Bynes is being involuntarily treated for mental illness at a psychiatric hospital in California, after the end of her parents' conservatorship over her and her return to school saw her recent recovery stagnate and then backtrack too quickly for the rest of us to understand. Bynes is under psychiatric hold that was extended for another month just Tuesday, but her negative feelings toward her parents made them hesitate over whether to push for another conservatorship. That was then and this is now. TMZ now reports that Bynes' parents were granted the conservatorship, according to alleged court documents, and it was on the grounds of her being irresponsible with her money.

"The documents also reveal Amanda is blowing through a shocking amount of her savings. Her parents say her net worth is currently $5,747,703.36..." the TMZ report reads. "Amanda's parents say the gift purchases have been 'extensive.' It sounds like she's going into stores, buying stuff and just handing it out on the street." 'It sounds like' doesn't mean that Bynes has actually been going into stores, buying stuff, and just handing it out on the street, but it's just strange that this would even be a consideration to put in the court documents to begin with. Oh, sure, Bynes' erratic behavior was mentioned, from the DUI up to the rumors of violence against fans, but what do her finances have to do with this?

It's possible that her parents merely considered being so irresponsible with her money as another sign of her current inability to make her own, independent decisions. After all, TMZ adds that "her parents say Amanda's only income is from her rental property -- $144,768 last year," so if she has been handing out expensive gifts to friends (or strangers, as TMZ implies) then she is going to burn through that very quickly and leave herself without any cash on hand when she needs it. However, it's just as possible that this rumor is another exaggeration.

When it comes to Bynes, it's always best to take many of the reports about her with a grain of salt. Yes, she is in a very bad place at the moment and undergoing recovery once more, but it's equally true that the media will seize upon any opportunity to make her behavior sound more erratic than it actually is. After all, extensive gift purchases does not necessarily mean she bought things and handed them out on the street. Ultimately, I think that the renewed conservatorship will be good for Bynes. It's overruled by the psychiatric hold, which means she'll still be getting the care she needs from doctors, but it allows her parents to help her get better again. That seemed to work the last time, although Bynes resents them now, so hopefully the family will be able to work things out a second time.