E!'s TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY on Amanda Bynes to Air 12/16

Related:

By all accounts, Amanda Bynes was a Hollywood success story. Born and raised in Southern California, she got her big break early, and enjoyed the support of a loving family. Amanda co-starred on Nickelodeon's hit series "All That" for three seasons, and then got her very own show on the network called "The Amanda Show," all while still in her teens. Movie roles followed, and it seemed like nothing would stand in her way. However, she has since "retired" from Hollywood and, after a slew of very public driving mishaps this year which landed her in the middle of a media frenzy, people are wondering what is next for this star. Find out the full story and what all the buzz is about when "THS: Amanda Bynes" premieres Sunday, December 16 at 10:30pm ET/PT on E!

Amanda had been acting since she was two and seemed to hold up well under the pressures of Hollywood throughout her childhood and teen years. During this period she was lauded for her comedic talents which some say compared to those of Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. In 2010, she seemed intent on changing her squeaky clean image by appearing in a sexy Maxim magazine photo spread with sultry, seductive poses while clad in racy lingerie. Psychotherapist Barbara Neitlich observes about Amanda, "She was trying to make this transition to young adult roles and perhaps had this idea that she needed to put on more of a bad girl persona." Albie Hecht, former president of Nickelodeon, the channel that sealed her stardom, reveals, "As she got to be bigger and bigger there were a lot of people wanting a piece of her."

Amanda's career took a bizarre turn when she announced her retirement from show business on Twitter which she then recanted just months later. Then in 2012, media reports of driving mishaps for everything from talking on her cell phone while driving to a DUI (which Amanda vehemently denies) dominated the headlines. Through all of these ups and downs, the press has relentlessly covered every misstep. Learn the full story of this promising young starlet's rise to fame, and her recent public fallout when "THS: Amanda Bynes" debuts Sunday, December 16 at 10:30pm ET/PT only on E!