By Jessica Wedemeyer

Not so long ago, Amanda Bynes was one of the brightest young stars in Hollywood. She was a rare example of a child actor who made the transition into adulthood without attracting the attention of gossip rags or racking up a laundry list of legal troubles. She came from a good family, had a reputation for being one of the most talented and hardest-working kid actors in the business, and was generally beloved by the public. She scored Kids' Choice Awards five years in a row from 2000 to 2004.

But Amanda's star has begun to burn out. The actress, whose last acting gig was "Easy A" in 2010, has become embroiled in a series of legal troubles since this April: First there was a DUI charge, then a string of alleged hit-and-runs, photos of her driving while smoking what appeared to be marijuana, and now allegations of mental instability. So what happened to the young actress who was poised to be one of the greatest in her generation? Let's take a look back to see how Amanda's star rose and, recently, fell.