Actress Amanda Bynes has lashed out at her critics and former friends for making up stories about her mental health in a new magazine interview.

The Hairspray star has been dogged by speculation about her stability following a spate of bizarre behaviour, including walking around New York City with items of clothing over her head, while ex-pal Perez Hilton recently went public with his concerns for the star, urging her estranged parents to do what they had to do to get their daughter committed.

Bynes, who is still facing a string of legal problems relating to 2012 traffic incidents, has batted away the attacks on her mental state with fiery tweets and online messages, and now she's addressing them in the pages of In Touch magazine.

She tells the publication, "I have no clue (why people say I'm insane). Every time I've heard it, it came from an ugly person's mouth, so I don't care. The only ones lying about me having a mental illness are people I don't talk to."

And commenting on her new pierced cheeks look, which has also led to critics questioning her sanity, Bynes tells In Touch, "I wanted to look like (exotic dancer) BlacChyna."

As for suggestions that the actress has issues with alcohol and marijuana, she states, "I don't drink. I'm allergic to alcohol. I don't smoke pot. I smoke tobacco."

Meanwhile, Bynes tells the publication she's on a quest to slim down to a scary 100 pounds (45.3 kilograms) for a series of planned photoshoots, and she has confirmed reports suggesting she has retired from acting at 24.

Asked about her plans for the future, Bynes says, "I'll design clothes and sing because I want to, not because I need the money. I love singing and I can't wait to start working on an album."