Another day, another chapter in the saga of Amanda Bynes. According to TMZ, the troubled actress was caught shoplifting in New York City at the upscale department store Barneys on Madison Avenue.
The gossip site reported that Bynes tried to exit the store without paying for the merchandise. She was nabbed by security walking out with a $200 hat on her head. Four NYPD officers showed up to interrogate the former child star, but Barneys’ security had let her go.
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Here’s where the story takes an interesting spin. The store claimed that Bynes told the guards she was being chased by fans. In order to protect herself, she put a cap on to cover her identity. She was not stealing, just worrying about her safety. Bynes was required to sign a no-trespass agreement and is officially banned from the store.
However, a source close to the All That star told TMZ that Bynes left her purse in the car. She accidentally grabbed the cap while summoning her driver to get her wallet so she could pay for the item. The security tag triggered the alarm and security was notified.
If this story sounds familiar, think back to Winona Ryder in 2001, when she was arrested for shoplifting $5,500 worth of designer goods from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. During the trial, it was revealed that the Beetlejuice star was suffering from a prescription drug addiction.
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In the end, Ryder was sentenced to probation and 480 hours of community service, as well as being ordered to pay $3,700 in fines and $6,355 in restitution fees to Saks Fifth Avenue. She also had to attend drug counseling and therapy.
Is this the next step for Bynes? While she wasn’t arrested in this incident, she seems to be following a very similar path to Ryder. The good news is that Ryder’s story had a happy ending. Let’s hope for a similar ending for Bynes.
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