Amanda Bynes is now 38 years old, but she started acting professionally when she was just 7. She appeared on Nickelodeon's All That from 1996 to 2000 before starring in her own show, The Amanda Show. She also appeared in films like Hairspray, She's the Man, What a Girl Wants and Easy A before she quit acting.
In recent years, she has largely stayed out of the spotlight, but at times, she has shared updates with fans on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, though she has been known to delete her own posts fairly often.
In December 2023, she returned to the public eye by starting a podcast and also addressing some of the rumors that were circulating about her appearance. Because some people had noticed that Amanda was sporting a new look, she took to TikTok to explain that she had had cosmetic surgery.
"I saw a couple stories online that say I have a new look, and I was never open about this before, but I actually had blepharoplasty surgery on the skin folds and the corners of my eye so I don’t have those skin folds anymore," she said in a video shared on TikTok at the time.
She explained that the procedure made her feel a lot better about herself and that she was "so glad" she had it done. Around the same time, she launched a podcast alongside Paul Sieminski. On the first — and only — episode, they interviewed Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Dahlia Moth.
After the first episode, Amanda decided that she didn't want to continue with the podcast.
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On TikTok at the time, she explained that she wanted to "take a pause on" the podcast even though "the podcast is doing really well and the response has been great."
She added that she was not able to get the type of guests she wanted on the podcast, which is why she decided it was not the best time to work on it.
"We are not able to get the type of guests that I'd like on the show, say like Jack Harlow, or Drake, or Post Malone, so maybe one day if we're able to get those types of guests we will resume the podcast. But for now I'm taking a pause on it," she said at the time, per E News.
The former actress had another reason for pressing pause: She wanted to focus on getting her manicurist license, per the Daily Mail.
In August 2024, she showed off her long nail extensions in a video shared on Instagram. Though some people have been critical of Amanda's new look, some fans took to the comments to show their support.
"No Amanda slander will be ever tolerated … YOU LOOK DOPE .. I love those nails boo! Go Mandyyyyy❤️," one person wrote on Instagram.
Another commented with: "Can I just say how empowering it is to my younger self’s idol reject societies unrealistic expectations, be authentically herself and go after what she’s passionate about? GO OFF, AMANDA!!! "
In August and September, Daily Mail shared some photos of Amanda that were captured while was out in Los Angeles. In both series of photos, she rocked long nails like the ones she shared with her fans on Instagram.
Over the past couple of years, some people have commented on how Amanda looks dramatically different compared to before (though it's been over a decade since she appeared in Easy A, and more than two decades since What a Girl Wants came out).
In a video shared in December 2023, Amanda explained why she doesn't "usually look good in paparazzi pictures."
"That's because paparazzi pictures are taken outside and the sunlight is usually really harsh and bright on my skin, even though I'm only 37 and I don't even look old," she said in a video at the time.
