Amanda Bynes Dead? The Former Star Of 'The Amanda Show' Has Had Legal Trouble, But Rumors Of Her Death Are False

Amanda Bynes is alive and well, more or less, despite online rumors that the former child star has died at the age of 26.

Bynes, who was a star on the Nickelodeon cable channel in her youth before falling into trouble with the law for alleged bad driving and substance abuse, was the subject of a fake obituary on Necropedia.org. The rumor somehow attracted attention on the Internet despite a clear disclaimer at the top of the page reading, “This is not a news article. (No one has died).”

More evidence that Bynes is alive lies in the would-be obituary, which reported that she died on Oct. 21, 2012, despite the article being published days prior to that date. The obit also reported that Bynes was linked romantically to Doug Reinhart, who was at the center of false death rumors on the same site.

Bynes is hardly the first celebrity to be at the center of rumors saying she has either died naturally or been killed in a notably vicious way. In September, Morgan Freeman, Eddie Murphy, John Cena, 50 Cent, Rihanna, and countless other stars were at the top of the news cycle simply because so many fans thought they had perished. The craze is so popular that now there are websites such as Who's Alive and Who's Dead that are devoted to debunking the myths.

Bynes saw her career take off in the mid-1990s with appearances in the stage versions of “Annie” and “The Secret Garden” before she was booked for regular spots on Nickelodeon shows such as “Figure It Out” and “All That,” which also featured current “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson.

Bynes was also the star of her own Nickelodeon program, “The Amanda Show.” She’s also appeared in major television shows such as “What I Like About You” and on the cover of Maxim magazine in 2010, but since then Bynes’ public life appears to have gone off the rails.

After being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and a couple of hit-and-run incidents, Bynes’ “What I Like About You” co-star Jennie Garth told Us Weekly that she’s been unable to reach the actress.

“I tried reaching out to her and I haven’t been able to reach her,” Garth said. “My heart feels for whatever she’s going through, and I love her dearly.”

An insider told the magazine that Bynes has been in a downward spiral for some time and the recent news that her BMW has been impounded has been the least of her worries.

“Amanda is out of control," the source said. “It’s been slowly going on for years, but now it’s getting really bad.”