Amanda Bynes psychiatric hold extended, parents seeking conservatorship

In a Tuesday, July 9, 2013 file photo, Amanda Bynes, accompanied by attorney Gerald Shargel, arrives for a court appearance in New York (AP)

Amanda Bynes will be held for a further two weeks to assess her mental health.

The former child star was placed in an involuntary psychiatric hold fter deputies said she started a fire in the driveway of a home in Thousand Oaks, southern California.

She was detained under the 5150 order, meaning she could be held for up to 72 hours for observation, but she will now be spending two more weeks at the Hillmont Psychiatric Center, part of the Ventura County Medical Centre.

Bynes, who rose to fame on the Nickelodeon series All That and The Amanda Show, has become a source of increasing concern over her erratic behaviour in the last few months.

She was reportedly drunk when she started the fire in Thousand Oaks. Prior to that, she made a court appearance in New York earlier this month after allegedly throwing a marijuana bong out of the window of her 36th-floor apartment in Manhattan.

A photo has emerged online apparently of the actress under a white sheet while being wheeled around by a member of the hospital staff.

Her parents, Lynn Organ and Rick Bynes, have supported the judge's decision to keep her at the unit and are reportedly to attend a hearing on Friday to decide whether they will be granted conservatorship of their daughter. 

They will have to convince the judge that taking their daughter into their full care is the best thing for her and that they can provide a safe and stable environment. 

A conservatorship would give them the authority to make decisions on certain aspects of Amanda's life.

News
Civil rights leader Rev Jesse Jackson dies at 84
Civil rights leader Rev Jesse Jackson dies at 84

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights activist and former presidential candidate who garnered controversy over his political activism and personal misconduct, has died at age 84.

Pastor considers legal action after arrest over comments on Islam and transgender ideology
Pastor considers legal action after arrest over comments on Islam and transgender ideology

The Alliance Defending Freedom warns of more such arrests if the government introduces its much-maligned definition of 'anti-Muslim hatred'.

Why do Christians observe Shrove Tuesday?
Why do Christians observe Shrove Tuesday?

17 February 2026 is Shrove Tuesday, the traditional day for eating pancakes before the start of Lent. This is the story …

CoE announces £400,000 to get young people into choirs
CoE announces £400,000 to get young people into choirs

Most CoE choirs currently have no children involved.