Hours after being reported missing, Nickelodeon star Drake Bell found "safe"

Hours after Florida police reported him missing and in danger, TMZ reports that troubled Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has been found. CNN and other outlets have also confirmed the news. TMZ notes that while cops are in touch with the actor, it’s “still unclear where he was, or why exactly cops feared for his safety.” However, they learned from a fan of Bell that he was spotted at SeaWorld with his son earlier this week. The fan said he was “nice and soft-spoken but seemed fine.”

Earlier today, in a public Facebook post, the Daytona Police Department reported Bell “missing and endangered” without providing any real context. Bell’s frequent legal trouble, particularly the child endangerment charge from 2021, might explain that. Bell’s quick rise to fame is another cautionary tale for child actors. In 2009, shortly after Drake And Josh wrapped at Nickelodeon, Bell was arrested for driving under the influence, the first of two DUI-related convictions.

The DUIs were the start of numerous legal and personal issues. In 2020, Drake’s ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt accused him of verbal and physical abuse, accusations that the actor denied. A year later, he accepted a plea deal concerning an attempted child endangerment case stemming from allegations made by an underage fan. He received two years of probation and 200 hours of community service that kept his name off Ohio’s sex offender registry. Bell’s accuser referred to Bell as a pedophile who “groomed” her from ages 12 to 15. Drake said he “was wrong” and “sorry that the victim was harmed in any way.” However, the victim in question had a much more forceful statement. “My life hasn’t been the same since I was 15. I think about these crimes every single day. I feel like I’m in a constant dark place,” she said, “Sometimes I wish I could disappear so I can forget about what happened.”