Ashley Benson apologizes for mocking troubled Amanda Bynes

Actress Ashley Benson has issued a public apology for mocking troubled star Amanda Bynes in the aftermath of her hospitalisation this week (beg22Jul13).

The Hairspray star was detained on an involuntary 5150 psychiatric hold on Monday (22Jul13) amid fears for her mental health after she was caught attempting to set fire to a driveway in Thousand Oaks, California.

Benson sparked controversy two days later on Wednesday (24Jul13) when she posted a picture of herself imitating Bynes on her Instagram.com page with the caption, "Doing my Amanda Bynes look this afternoon".

The post prompted a negative backlash and she has now apologized. In a series of posts on Twitter.com, Benson writes, "To clear up the whole Instagram thing, I had no idea what her situation was. Truly sorry if I offended anyone... Love you guys."

Bynes' parents have applied for a conservatorship to take control of their daughter's affairs and a judge has extended her detention for a further two weeks.