Rick Bynes Is Dad to Amanda Bynes & Her 2 Siblings

Rick Bynes is Amanda Bynes' father, who has always supported his daughter's career and would take her to stand-up sessions. He was once dragged into the spotlight after being accused of abuse.

Rick Bynes is famously known as Amanda Bynes' dad, and he was the reason she took an interest in entertainment. He encouraged her and his other kids to become stage actors and actresses.

Unfortunately, Rick Bynes is also remembered for reportedly abusing Amanda Bynes as a child, a claim the actress made amidst her mental health issues but also retracted later.

Rick Bynes Was in the Medical Field

Rick had a profession away from the media, unlike his famous child star daughter. He was a dentist in Thousand Oaks, California, with Irish, Polish, and Lithuanian roots. Although a dentist by trade, Rick had a profound interest in entertainment.

On the side, he pursued his passion as a stand-up comedian in a comedy club and encouraged all his kids to try stage acting. He would even take Amanda to stand-up sessions, where she learned about the craft.

Amanda was barely ten when he enrolled her in stand-up comedy sessions in Hollywood comedy clubs. She undoubtedly had a talent and delivered her routines well, and in no time, talent scouts signed her up for "All That." Naturally, Rick felt proud as a father when Amanda's career launched.

Rick had three children, Tom Bynes, Jillian Bynes, and Amanda Bynes, with his wife, Lynn Bynes, a Russian, Romanian, and Polish woman. She, too, was proud of her daughter's success in acting. "We were in New York, and a sales clerk said [to Amanda], 'You look like that little girl on 'All That,'" Lynn shared.

Rick's other kids also took an interest in acting. Tom joined the drama productions at Thousand Oaks High School, while Jillian joined the community theater.

Rick Bynes Supported Amanda Bynes' Career

Although Rick supported his daughter's career, he always prioritized their family. He once turned down a pitch that would make Amanda and Lynn stay in Florida for five months a year. He said:

"The reason everybody likes Amanda is who she is. And the minute you take her away from here, from her brother and sister and grandma and her house, well, you might not have Amanda anymore."

Amanda Bynes' Father Made Headlines a Few Times

In 2014, Rick made the news for allegedly abusing Amanda. The Nickelodeon star fled New York when she learned of her parents' plans to check her into a mental health facility.

According to sources, Rick and Lynn have been trying to make Amanda understand the need to seek help for her mental condition. However, she refused to agree with their plans. She then went on a Twitter rant, accusing her dad of verbal and physical abuse as a child.

Amanda's family defended Rick, claiming he had never abused the kids. Amanda later retracted her statements. Unfortunately, Amanda's mental health has been fluctuating since. She has been in and out of rehab and has made headlines multiple times.

Most recently, Amanda Bynes had a public psychotic episode, which gave her parents reason to put her in another conservatorship. However, Rick and Lynn, although concerned about their daughter, are not considering another conservatorship.