Drake Bell's Troubling History Of Legal Issues Explained

Amid his legal woes, former "Drake & Josh" star Drake Bell was declared missing by the police on April 13. "Officers are looking for Jared Bell, DOB 06/27/1986. He should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW, and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9 p.m.," a Facebook post by the Daytona Beach Police Department read. In the statement, the police also hinted that he could be in possible danger and encouraged people with useful information to reach out. Barely 24 hours later, however, it was confirmed that Bell had been found. "At this time we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe," the updated Facebook post read. 

Bell's recent disappearance comes only a few months after People confirmed that the Nickelodeon star had separated from his wife Janet Von Schmeling. "Janet is devoted to raising their son," a source told the outlet. "Drake and Janet are committed to maintaining a peaceful co-parenting relationship and giving their son the best life possible." 

Bell once enjoyed great success as a Nickelodeon star, becoming popular for his roles in "Drake & Josh" and "The Amanda Show." However, the actor has grown unpopular over the years. This is thanks, in part, to an array of run-ins with the law. Here is a look into Drake Bell's legal drama.

In December 2015, Drake Bell was arrested by the LAPD for driving under the influence and going past the stipulated speed limit. He was subsequently charged with a DUI and released on a $20,000 bond, as reported by the Daily Mail. The following year, Bell agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to four days in prison. However, Bell ended up serving only one day. Per TMZ, the actor was also placed on four years probation and mandated to attend an alcohol rehabilitation program. This was Bell's second DUI as he was previously arrested in 2009 and convicted the following year for the same offense.

In addition to his DUIs, Bell has faced physical and verbal abuse allegations from his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt. In a now-deleted TikTok video shared in 2020, Lingafelt opened up about her relationship with Bell while the abuse. "I moved in with him, I was singing. It wasn't until about a year when the verbal abuse started," she explained in the video. "And when I say verbal abuse, imagine the worst type of verbal abuse you could ever imagine, and that was what I got." She also added that the verbal abuse "then turned to physical — hitting, throwing, everything." Lingafelt, however, never pressed charges and Bell has adamantly denied the allegations, according to People.

In June 2021, Drake Bell was arrested and charged with attempted endangerment of children and disseminating matters harmful to juveniles, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. 

The charges against Bell stemmed from a 2017 event involving a 15-year-old girl with whom the singer had reportedly been exchanging inappropriate messages with the minor. After agreeing to a deal with prosecutors, Bell pled guilty to the two charges against him. "My understanding is there's been a plea agreement reached where the defendant will plead guilty to count one attempted endangering children, a felony in the fourth degree [and] plead guilty to count two: disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor the first degree," the presiding judge confirmed during the hearing (via People). The "Drake & Josh" star was subsequently sentenced to two years probation as well as 200 hours of community service. This, however, was not the end of his troubles. 

While reading her impact statement, Bell's victim accused him of grooming her from the age of 12 before going on to sexually assault her at 15. "Being used by somebody who meant the world to me has left me feeling more hurt than I've ever been before. I am now 19. My life hasn't been the same since I was 15," a portion of her statement read. Despite this new information, however, Bell was not charged with sexual abuse and has refuted the claims in an Instagram video.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).