You may not recognise her in her latest photo, but Amanda Bynes is back on Instagram after a reported three-month break. She changed her handle to @MatteBlackStore, which looks to be her new online retailer.
In the photo, Bynes is sporting an alternative look that may be at odds with Hollywood’s polished aesthetic. She has a heart tattoo on her cheek, visible beneath clear-framed glasses, and a septum accessory. In place of her blonde locks, Bynes is sporting long black hair; she’s wearing a black and yellow plaid shirt, a Jimi Hendrix shirt, and ripped jeans and white sneakers.
At time of writing, the post — the only one on Bynes’ otherwise wiped Instagram account — has more than 31,000 likes, though Bynes had the comments featured turned off.
The actress has had an on-and-off relationship with the public and social media. She moved away from acting to pursue her undergraduate education and take care of her mental health, and in the summer, she shared her hopes of launching a digital shop.
“Update: Getting my Bachelor’s degree from FIDM. Taking online classes, trying to get a 4.0 GPA,” she wrote on Instagram in May. “Spent the past 2 months in treatment. Worked on coping skills to help with my social anxiety that caused me to drop out of school months ago. Back on track and doing well!”
She also wrote: “Looking forward to starting my online store in the future #goals.”
In September, her fiance Paul Michael’s Instagram account featured several images of Bynes and the pair together, despite reports of a split in March. Bynes wrote in May: “Still engaged to that love of my life Paul.”
