Entertainment Movies Amanda Bynes Is 'Seeking Treatment for Mental Health Issues,' Says Lawyer: 'We Ask for Privacy' "We ask for any speculation about her personal life from the public and the media to cease so Amanda can focus on getting better," Amanda Bynes' lawyer tells PEOPLE By Melody Chiu Melody Chiu Instagram Twitter Melody Chiu is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She oversees PEOPLE's music and events coverage and has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra!, The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 18, 2020 10:59 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Amanda Bynes is focusing on her health. After returning to Instagram in December following a two-month hiatus, Bynes, 33, revealed on Valentine’s Day her engagement to Paul Michael, a man she met at her former sober living home in late 2019. Just three weeks later, the couple split — but on Monday night both Michael, 28, and Bynes announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child together in posts that have since been deleted from their accounts. Now, Bynes’ lawyer David Esquibias is asking for privacy on behalf of his client, who he says “is seeking treatment for ongoing mental health issues.” Amanda Bynes Celebrates 14 Months of Sobriety Weeks After Announcing Engagement “Any reports that Amanda is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction issues are completely false,” continues Esquibias in a statement. “We ask for privacy during this time, and for any speculation about her personal life from the public and the media to cease so Amanda can focus on getting better.” Frazer Harrison/Getty A source close to Bynes previously told PEOPLE she had been residing in a sober living facility but recently checked into a treatment center for continuing care of mental health issues. Bynes previously entered a treatment facility in January 2019 after she started struggling following a return to the public eye. RELATED VIDEO: Amanda Bynes Returns to Twitter in First Post in Nearly a Year “Amanda is still inpatient in a mental health facility,” a friend of Bynes told PEOPLE last June after she attended her graduation from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. “She was able to get an outing pass for a few hours for the special occasion so she could walk with the other students. But she left a little early and was back at the facility at the end of the graduation.” In a November 2018 cover story with Paper, Bynes — whose mother Lynn has been her conservator since 2014 following several legal run-ins — opened up about her mental health and addiction struggles. Earlier this month, Bynes marked 14 months of sobriety on Instagram. “Celebrating being sober a year and two months!” she captioned photos of herself spending time with friends.