The Cher And Amanda Bynes Feud Fully Explained

The following article includes mentions of substance abuse.

Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes, who enjoyed a super successful early run in Hollywood, ignited a shocking feud with singer Cher during the early 2010s. At the time, Bynes was experiencing a rough stretch brought on from years of consuming various substances, including Adderall. In 2013, Bynes often took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to hurl rude insults at her celebrity peers. However, Bynes saved some of her harshest insults for rappers Drake and Jay-Z, according to E! News. Although some of Bynes' tweets about Drake could be interpreted as positive, she also criticized his appearance. Additionally, Bynes insulted Miley Cyrus and Perez Hilton.

At the height of Bynes' social media rants, she also sparked a feud with singer Cher. "The Amanda Show" alum took to Twitter, and diminished the accomplished artist by calling her a "flop." Bynes also tore into Cher's looks by calling her "ugly" (via Today). Like most of Bynes' mostly one-sided feuds at the time, it's unclear exactly what made her lash out at specific celebrities. Yet while many of the celebs on the receiving end of Bynes' rants opted to ignore her outbursts, Cher decided to respond.

After Amanda Bynes came for Cher unprompted, one Twitter user  brought the comments to Cher's attention on the social media platform. "Are you upset @amandabynes called you ugly and a flop?" read the since-deleted tweet (via Heavy). In response, Cher tweeted, "Who's 4that? Wait .. Is this another WTF IS MDMA." While Bynes didn't respond to Cher directly, she didn't seem happy with Cher's response. "This is my Twitter. I say whatever I want. Thanks!" tweeted Bynes shortly thereafter (via Today). 

Instead of responding to Bynes in kind, Cher decided to go easy on the young actor. "You got That One Right! SORRY About shade, Sweet Heart, it was unintentional... Promise," tweeted Cher. Given that Bynes was clearly in the wrong, Cher's apology shocked those watching their exchange unfold. However, she had a great reason for turning the other cheek. "I never understood the thing about not saying you're sorry because it's so easy...it doesn't take any time and it just dissolves all the bad feelings," Cher revealed to E! News. "It just lets it go, and we can't hold on to that kind of stuff. It makes you sick."

Cher apologized to Amanda Bynes for the part she played in their brief feud. However, Bynes never issued Cher a proper apology. With that said, Bynes later issued a blanket apology to those she'd previously trashed on social media. "I just wanted to post a video to say I'm sorry to everybody whom I called ugly on Twitter," Bynes said in the since-deleted Instagram video (via Us Weekly). "I was feeling so ugly at the time, and it was really hard for me to express myself at the time because I was so drugged out."

Two years earlier, Bynes explained to Paper Magazine that her substance use colored her social media habits. "I was just stuck at home, getting high, watching TV, and tweeting," said Bynes. "I had a lot of time on my hands and would 'wake and bake' and literally be stoned all day long." Fortunately, Bynes was able to overcome her old habits. "Those days of experimenting [with substances] are long over," Bynes added. "I'm not sad about it and I don't miss it because I really feel ashamed of how those substances made me act. When I was off of them, I was completely back to normal and immediately realized what I had done — it was like an alien had literally invaded my body."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).