Drake Bell ‘safe,’ hours after being declared ‘missing and endangered’: Here’s what we know
Posted April 14, 2023 by: Admin
Good news! Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has been confirmed “safe” after being declared missing by the Daytona Beach Police Department. Bell, whose real name is Jared Drake Bell, rose to fame as a child star, appearing in shows like Jerry Maguire, Seinfeld, and High Fidelity before becoming a regular performer on Amanda Bynes’s The Amanda Show in 1999. He later starred in Drake and Josh from 2004 until 2007, where he sang the theme song and contributed to the soundtrack.
On April 12, 2023, the Daytona Beach Police Department announced they were looking for Bell, stating that he was considered missing and endangered. They posted a description of him and the car he was believed to be traveling in and asked anyone with information to contact Detective Jayson Wallace. Yvette Nicole Brown, one of Bell’s former co-stars, also asked for help in locating him. However, after about three hours, officials confirmed that law enforcement officials were in contact with Bell and that he was safe.
Since his time on Drake and Josh, Bell has continued to work in the entertainment industry, releasing music and appearing in live-action versions of The Fairly Odd Parents. He also did voice work, most notably as Spider-Man in video games and TV series. He appeared on other shows, including iCarly and Zoey 101, and later as himself on reality TV competitions like Cupcake Wars and The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars.
Unfortunately, Bell has faced some personal struggles over the years, like many other former child stars. He reportedly entered outpatient treatment for substance abuse in January and had been separated from his wife, Janet Von Schmeling, since then. Bell has also had previous encounters with law enforcement, having been arrested twice for DUIs. A former girlfriend, Melisa Lingafelt, accused him of verbally and physically abusing her, but Bell denied these allegations.
In June 2021, Bell was charged with attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles after he “developed a relationship” online with a teenager and sent her “inappropriate social media messages.” In July 2021, he avoided prison when he was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Bell maintained that he was unaware of the girl’s age and that there had been no sexual contact between them. He later addressed the situation on social media and thanked his fans for their support.
