31. Celebrities 2: Tonya Harding & Amanda Bynes

The election is over, thank goodness. As a nation, we have all taken a collective sigh of relief! This week we revisit celebrities and crime. Nathalie starts us off with the case of Tonya Harding, a famous American figure skater. Tonya started ice skating at the age of four and would be the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition. In 1994, Tonya’s ex-husband hired a hitman to attack Tonya’s fellow skater, Nancy Kerrigan, at the Olympic trials. Tonya plead guilty to hindering the investigation of Nancy’s attack, resulting in a permanent ban from competing in skating. We discuss the portrayal of Tonya’s story in the 2017 film, I, Tonya, and how repeated abuse played a role in Tonya’s story. Next, Rachel tells the story of child star, Amanda Bynes. Amanda was arrested on multiple occasions for driving under the influence while struggling with substance abuse. After receiving mental health care, Amanda shared she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. We discuss what bipolar disorder may look like, as well as what may prompt a 72-hour mental health hold. We are so happy that Amanda is in treatment and appears to be in a much better place. Rachel's Sources https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Bynes https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/conservatorships-adult-guardianships-30063.html https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.201500205#:~:text=An%20emergency%20hold%20(also%20called,whether%20the%20individual%20meets%20criteria https://www.findlaw.com/dui/arrests/can-i-refuse-a-breathalyzer-test-.html https://ew.com/article/2013/05/28/amanda-bynes-arrested-timeline/ https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/11/10/what-happened-to-amanda-bynes-where-now/ https://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/patientcare/askexpert/suicidalthoughts https://www.etonline.com/amanda-bynes-shares-life-update-after-spending-the-last-two-months-in-treatment-147110