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In a now deleted post, actress Amanda Bynes returned to social media to speak out about the petition to terminate her conservatorship, which was put into place in 2013 after several public incidents.

Her mother Lynn was named as the temporary conservator of Bynes’ personal life and finances before being appointed permanently. Bynes had been arrested several times for misdemeanor offenses and her struggles with substance use. At the time the conservatorship was petitioned, Bynes was involuntarily hospitalized after lighting a fire in her neighbor’s driveway in July 2013. Bynes confirmed in a 2014 tweet that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after her hospitalization.

Since being placed under a conservatorship, Bynes has stayed mostly out of the public eye. She enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2014 following her release from the hospital and subsequent conservatorship. She graduated from in 2019 while on a day pass from her inpatient treatment facility at the time. Bynes has reportedly continued to do well since graduating and opened up about her past substance abuse in an interview after graduation.

FIDM graduate 2019 #fidmgraduationpic.twitter.com/KdFI5dPOdK

— amanda bynes (@amanda bynes)
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Bynes parents are reported to be in agreement that her conservatorship should end, though a judge had ordered the arrangement to be extended until 2023. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve all learned a lot more about celebrity conservatorships after the much popularized end to Britney Spears’ conservatorship last year. The length of these conservatorships raises some questions, including at what point do we question the law on how these conservatorships are carried out, and to what length of time.

In both these cases, the legal reach of the conservatorship has been extensive. They lasted years and left the women with little say in controlling their lives. While it seems that Amanda’s parents truly had her best interests at heart and are now fully on board to have her conservatorship terminated, it begs the question as to where the line is drawn when it comes to mental health conservatorships and how extensive or limited they should be. It is not unheard of for someone to be placed under a guardianship for life, especially if the person is intellectually or developmentally delayed and they cannot make appropriate decisions for themselves without extensive help. But in cases where mental health is concerned, it feels different.

Hey guys! I’m on instagram now ! nCheck me out http://instagram.com/amandabynesrealu00a0pic.twitter.com/N1lA6NhJLb

— amanda bynes (@amanda bynes)
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People who suffer with mental health conditions, even severe ones like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other disorders that can include psychosis, are entitled to live their lives with some degree of autonomy. Having a severe mental health condition does not make someone permanently incapable of caring for themselves or others, particularly if they’re able to commit to a regimen of doctor recommended medication and therapy.

Conservatorship is something that is typically used as a last resort for people experiencing severe mental illness. It is oftentimes short-lived until the person is stabilized and set up with some sort of intensive mental health therapy, but it can be difficult to be released from a conservatorship if the person doesn’t have a strong network of support. When conservatorships stretch out to decades, it makes you wonder whether the support being received is adequate, whether the mental health system is failing that person in some way, whether there needs to be a holistic re-evaluation of the law surrounding conservatorships. It also shines a spotlight on a person’s own ability to commit to ongoing treatment and the associated results.

Amanda Bynes feeling well enough to advocate for the termination of her conservatorship is something to celebrate. Mental illness does not have to hold the level of stigma that it does, and people who are experiencing conditions severe enough to result in hospitalization or guardianship still deserve autonomy over their lives and people rooting for their success.

This article originally appeared on 11.27.19

No matter how big, burly, and badass you become, sometimes you just want to see your mama’s face.

A video of Miami Dolphins player Jerome Baker Jr. looking for his mom in the stands has gone viral because it’s just so dang wholesome. The 22-year-old linebacker was mic’d during the game, and as he sat with his teammates on the bench, he kept scanning the crowd, asking aloud where his mama was. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Baker had sent his mom, Theodora, a ticket to the game, but he wasn’t sure if she was going to make it.

The video alternates between Baker pumping up his teammates on the field, making tackles, and hanging with his teammates on the sidelines and asking,”Bro, where is my mama?” Just after a play, he was caught on the field looking up to the stands, asking himself, “Where is she AT?” At one point, Baker was singing along to the Miami Dolphins fight song, only to interject another “Where is my mama?” in the middle of it.

The contrast between Baker’s game-on intensity and his innocent searching between plays creates a touching montage that could melt any mom’s heart.

Mic’d Up: Dolphins LB Jerome Baker looking for his mama in Week 9 win

www.youtube.com

Baker himself found the video hilarious, and said he was “dying laughing” when he saw it making the rounds on Twitter.

“It was just funny. You don’t realize how many times I was saying it, but I was saying it so much. The video made it funnier,” he said in a video with the Sun-Sentinel.

“If you look at the video, I was clean at one point. Then later on, I had a little bit of dirt on me. Then later on, I was full of dirt. It was like the whole game, I was saying, ‘Where’s my mom? Where’s my mom?’,” he said. “It was just a funny moment I didn’t realize, but I was definitely looking for my mom a lot.”

Even people who aren’t fans of football can appreciate the sweetness of a tough young man wanting to see his mama. Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you do, there’s just something comforting in knowing mom is cheering you on.

When the bracket was revealed in advance of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, many analytical observers pointed to the relatively soft nature of the Midwest Region, at least beyond the top two seeds in Kansas and Auburn. However, that is not the case from the standpoint of the 2022 NBA Draft, and many professional observers will be taking their deepest look yet at the upcoming class. The Midwest Region is full of intriguing prospects, including at least one top-five guy, and that makes for appetizing basketball consumption in the coming days and weeks.

As part of DIME’s pre-tournament look at the best prospects in the class, we’ll roll through the top five players in the Midwest, headlined by Auburn’s Jabari Smith.

Jabari Smith – F, Auburn

Smith is a fantastic prospect. The 6’10 forward is an unbelievable shooter, burying 43 percent of three-pointers on big volume, and no one can block Smith’s shot at his size. Comparisons to Kevin Durant are too aggressive (for anyone), but Smith does have the potential to be a thoroughly dynamic scorer. He doesn’t have a ton of juice as a ball-handler, and Smith is just a solid defender rather than a spectacular one, but he’s a top-four guy to be sure and some see him as a potential No. 1 overall pick.

Keegan Murray – F, Iowa

Iowa zoomed through the Big Ten Tournament, and Murray is the team’s centerpiece. The 6’8 forward is averaging 23.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on high-end efficiency (56 percent from the field and 41 percent from three), and Murray is doing it against elite competition. Some of the questions about his early-season breakout have already been answered, and he could conceivably climb into the top five or six of June’s Draft with a big tournament. He’s been that good.

Johnny Davis – G, Wisconsin

Unfortunately, Davis has been a little bit banged-up down the stretch, missing some time and suffering a bit on the floor when he plays through injury. In zooming out, though, Davis has been a fantastic player this season, and he is on track for a top-10 selection. Davis has been the sun, moon, and stars for an otherwise limited Wisconsin offense, and he is capable of putting the Badgers on his back. Even if he doesn’t, Davis has the tools to be a quality scorer in the NBA and the mentality to shift into a lesser role, with plus defense, if he needs to.

Ochai Agbaji – G/F, Kansas

In some ways, Agbaji is a conventional choice in that he averaged 20 points per game for a No. 1 seed. At the next level, he may not be a primary option, but Agbaji is making 40 percent of his three-pointers this season and he’s a willing defender. He is more of a 2 in terms of size, but Agbaji’s 3-and-D projection is undeniable and he has more juice with the ball in his hands than a typical player with that label.

Tari Eason – F, LSU

Eason and Auburn’s Walker Kessler are neck-and-neck for No. 5 here but, in an effort to diversify the viewing guide, Eason gets the nod. LSU is a giant question mark after firing their head coach on the eve of the tournament, but Eason should be able to shine as a defensive monster. He’s 6’8 with athleticism and length, and Eason profiles as a switchable piece at the next level. The big change has been his offense and, even with some growth needed on that end of the floor, Eason could sneak into the late lottery with a big month.

In a very weird flex, Russia has announced its intention to impose sanctions on President Joe Biden and select members of his administration.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement (today) blacklisting a number of key officials within the White House including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The “stop list” also includes names who have no official ties to Biden’s current administration — people like his son, Hunter Biden, and, weirdly enough, Hillary Clinton.

This latest stunt sounds like a poor attempt at retaliation on Vladimir Putin’s part. While the U.S. has already begun restricting its imports and exports to the country, with U.S. companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s halting operations until the war with Ukraine ends, Putin seems to think that hitting back with a public “you can’t sit with us” list is going to convince world leaders that standing up to his regime is a bad idea. And it might be, if you’re one of the people on this list who, for some odd reason, was planning a vacation to Moscow in the coming months. For everyone else, these sanctions are basically garbage.

Sadly, Putin ally Donald Trump (among other Kremlin-supporting Republicans) was left off the list, which seems like something he’ll take offense to since, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the people included are considered “prominent US figures.”

Someone please go to the woods and let Hillary know that the tantrum-throwing Putin has cancelled her.

Lil Durk’s new album 7220 is out and running up its streaming numbers. The ever-busy Chicago rapper supported the project prior to its release with videos for “Ahhh Ha” and “Golden Child,” and now he continues the rollout with his video for “Barbarian.” The video is a documentary-style glimpse at Durk’s tour life as he hops from city to city performing in sold-out arenas, raps to the camera while sitting on the tarmac in front of a private jet, and takes his kids on shopping sprees.

7220 is Durk’s first solo release since 2020’s The Voice, but in the meantime, his profile leaped considerably behind collaborations with Drake (“Laugh Now Cry Later“) and Lil Baby (Voice Of The Heroes) — so much so that he boasted that his label, Alamo Records (a Sony subsidiary), gave him a 40 million dollar deal. Although he didn’t reveal any details of the contract, DJBooth’s Brian Zisook noted that he could have licensed several albums over a set period of time, with the publishing rights to return in full after that period.

In the meantime, Durk is set to begin his 7220 tour in April, setting out from Phoenix on April 8 through May 2, when he returns to his hometown for closing night.

Watch the “Barbarian” video above.

7220 is out now via Alamo and Only The Family. Get it here.

Fake heiress Anna Delvey/Sorokin/whatever-her-name-really-is recently revealed that she enjoyed Julia Garner’s take on her f*cked-up accent in Inventing Anna, but things aren’t going well at all for Delvey at this moment. After spending about four years in prison (including at Rikers Island) for fleecing some of New York’s deepest high-society pockets, Delvey emerged into a New York ICE detention center because she had overstayed her visa. She subsequently contracted Covid-19 and felt the sickest that she’d been “in years” from the virus.

Now, things have grown worse for Anna Delvey. The New York Post reported that officials (on Monday night) plopped her onto a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany. She’d appealed the deportation, but here’s what’s happening now:

Sorokin, 31, is said to be furious about the deportation, according to one close source, as she had put in an appeal to remain in the US. The appeal was meant to be heard on April 19.

She has been at the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, NY, since March 25 for allegedly overstaying her visa.

This situation’s not exactly turning her fate around, so that Anna Delvey can claim to be waiting on wire transfers here in the U.S. She’ll have to pull those stunts elsewhere, although it’s likely that people around the globe are wise to her game, given that Inventing Anna has been sitting in Netflix’s Global Top 10 list for weeks. The New York Post got ahold of Neffatari Davis (“Neff” in the series, portrayed by Alexis Floyd), who relayed that Anna “has a good heart, but she has a dark, twisted mind.” Well, that’s one way to put it.

(Via NY Post)

It’s no secret that the death of XXXTentacion was a complicated tragedy. It left social media in a state of moral quandary, reckoning with the inherent devastation of a young person dying too soon while also knowing that he committed a great deal of harm against women. This is why the news, via The Fader, that the documentary Look At Me: XXXTENTACION is coming this summer might not thrill everyone; it is opening that can of worms once again. It was originally announced in 2019 and it’s premiering today at SXSW in Austin, but it won’t be available to stream on Hulu until June 10.

The documentary was produced by FADER Films, and directed by Sabaah Folayan who directed 2017’s Whose Streets? about the Ferguson Uprising. Folayan claims that this XXXTentacion documentary will not ignore the complexity of the rapper’s death and will address those issues head-on. “I decided to tell this story because while violence is inexcusable, it is not unintelligible,” Folayan said in a press release. “It has interpersonal roots and generational pathways for both abusers and survivors. I am hopeful that with care from the collective, cycles of violence can be interrupted. Movements like #MeToo have spotlighted the need for improvement in the way masculinity is performed in society. But when, where, and how can this positive change take place? There is no certain solution but what is clear is that the criminal justice and deportation systems are doing more harm than good.”

Look At Me: XXXTENTACION streams 6/10 on Hulu.

Our choices in life should only be limited by our imaginations. However, far too many of us limit our options because of what others may think or how we’ve been raised.

Four women in Washington, D.C., completely reimagined their concepts of family, friendship and child-rearing and have created an urban commune where they’re free to pursue happiness in a way most people never consider.

Holly Harper and Herrin Hopper always joked that one day they’d live together on a commune in Vermont. But after they both got divorced, they began to take their old joke seriously.

“Holly and I said, ‘Why not do this?'” Harper recalled in an interview with Today. “Within a weekend we found this house.”

The two friends found two other single women, Jen and Leandra, and they purchased a four-unit home. The arrangement allows the four women to save money but it also has countless advantages for all four families. “We’ve unlocked the power of sharing, and our baseline expenses decreased, allowing us to experience abundance,” Harper wrote in Insider.

“This living arrangement is a kid’s paradise, complete with a giant trampoline, a parkour line, a garden, a gym, a big-screen TV, and a craft studio,” Harper wrote. “Our kids—who can use the buddy system for a walk to get gelato, and who have playmates during the quarantine and homeschool months—are thriving.”

The children, ages 9 to 14, relate to each other like cousins and their new living arrangement provides them with new perspectives on life that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. It gives them a great opportunity to learn more about dating, bullying, divorce, family, sexual orientation, creativity, death and finding joy.

u2066@hollybluebikeu2069 is burning the Rulebook and Iu2019m here for it nnSingle Moms Buy A House Together In Washington, D.C.https://www.today.com/parents/moms/single-moms-buy-house-rcna19604u00a0u2026

— Cissy Jones (@Cissy Jones)
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They also have no shortage of playmates and things to do. The home is equipped with a 15-foot trampoline, parkour slackline, hammocks, sleds and an inflatable pool in the summer. Living at the home they’ve dubbed “The Siren House” is a lot like a permanent summer camp.

It has also taught the four mothers how to share. The women share expenses, cars, food, babysitting duties, dog-walking and hugs with each other. Harper says that their living arrangement saves her $30,000 a year.

“We don’t know whose socks are whose … socks everywhere,” Harper said. “iPads, dishes, cups. There’s a lot of exchanging that occurs. Usually not planned.”

See on Instagram

To keep everything in order they have routine “homeowners meetings” where they discuss repairs and yard work. The meetings often happen over a bottle of Champagne.

“There is almost a spiritual safety net every day here,” Harper said. “I could be my worst self, I could be my best self, and they see me for who I am, and it’s OK.”

For Harper, the home isn’t a utopia, but the arrangement gives the four families the greatest chance to find happiness. “The goal of life is not to reach some plane of happiness but to create an environment where we are safe to pursue happiness in every moment,” Harper wrote.

Diehard NBA Draft observers keep an eye on college basketball year-round and, in particular, during the season. For some, however, the NCAA Tournament presents a unique opportunity for evaluation, bringing a glimpse at the next generation of professional basketball talent on the biggest stage. The 2022 NCAA Tournament is no different, with highly interesting draft prospects in all four regions and the talent divided across several programs.

As part of DIME’s preview of the festivities, we’ll highlight the top five prospects in each region and, in the South Region, the headliner is projected lottery pick Bennedict Mathurin out of Arizona. Let’s take a look.

Bennedict Mathurin – G/F, Arizona

Arizona is loaded and a deserving No. 1 seed. Mathurin is the centerpiece of the attack, even with the overall balance of the Wildcats. He is also the best prospect the region by a solid margin, and it will be a surprise if he slips outside the lottery. At the moment, his defense is more theoretical than anything, but Mathurin has come a long way as a playmaker and he profiles as a plus shooter at the NBA level.

EJ Liddell – F, Ohio State

Liddell has been fantastic all season for Ohio State. He’s a bit of a throwback prospect as a natural power forward that is strong and physical, but his three-point shooting (38 percent) has come along and Liddell is “the guy” for the Buckeyes. Can he overcome some limitations and make the lottery as a junior? We’ll see, but he’s a first-round talent for sure.

Malaki Branham – G/F, Ohio State

It’s been a late rise for Branham, who certainly takes a back seat to Liddell from a college perspective. Ultimately, Branham may have higher NBA upside with his athleticism and shot creation equity at 6’6. He is making 43 percent of three-pointers and has on-ball skills that should translate. There’s a chance he doesn’t declare, but a good tournament would make it to where he almost has to.

Kennedy Chandler – G, Tennessee

When Chandler has it going, he’s electric. The 6’1 freshman guard is one of the fastest players in the class, and he feels the game well. Chandler has a very good handle and can get to his spots, even with a very slim frame at this stage. He is making 36 percent of threes, which could be a swing skill, but Chandler is bizarrely shooting only 61.7 percent at the line. That’s something to monitor, but he’s the offensive engine of a top-three seed and should have opportunities to shine.

Christian Koloko – C, Arizona

Koloko isn’t a lock for the first round by any means, and he is a long way from the prospect status of someone like Mathurin. However, Koloko’s rim protection has been outstanding this season and he’s shooting 63 percent from the field as a 7-footer. Traditional bigs can be devalued in some ways, but Koloko might anchor a Final Four defense and be able to showcase his talents.

Sam Elliott kicked off a sizable wave of controversy earlier in the month after he called Power of the Dog a “piece of sh*t” and took issue with its “allusions of homosexuality,” which recently culminated in director Jane Campion calling him a “B-I-T-C-H” at the DGA Awards. Well, now, Elliott is back with another hot take on a Western production that he doesn’t care for despite being a part of its expanding television universe.

In the interview that keeps on giving, Elliott reportedly slammed Yellowstone during the same WTF with Marc Maron episode where he went off on Power of the Dog and said of the New Zealand-born Campion, “What the f*ck does this woman from down there know about the American West?” Turns out, Elliott also don’t care for Taylor Sheridan‘s take on the American West either. Via Decider:

“I’m not a Yellowstone fan. I don’t watch Yellowstone,” Elliott said. “I love [star Kevin] Costner. There’s a lot of good people on the cast, a few of them I’ve worked with before — nothing against any of them — but it’s just too much like f*cking Dallas or something for me.”

Elliott’s criticism of Yellowstone is interesting because his experience filming the prequel series, 1883, is apparently what spurred him to go after Power of the Dog in the first place. Elliott shot the prequel in Texas where he said he saw “real” ranchers and families who worked the land, and they were nothing like what he saw in the Benedict Cumberbatch film that rubbed him the wrong way.

So, basically, what we’re getting from all of this is Sam Elliott doesn’t like a lot of things. A cold sarsaparilla? Probably. Kevin Costner fighting to save a Montana ranch? Get that soap opera nonsense outta here.

(Via Decider)