Sophia Michaels
Drake Bell addressed his disappearance for the first time on Thursday, claiming he simply misplaced his phone. After speaking out, many of his fans answered with messages of relief and concern. The Nickelodeon alum’s message comes after he was reported missing by Daytona Beach police on Thursday morning. They noted the car that he was driving and what his last known location had been. The authorities then labeled him as “endangered.”
He seemingly laughed off concerns for his well-being with a tweet. “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?” he tweeted on Thursday. However, a few hours later, police confirmed to Page Six that the actor had been found alive and well. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office added that Bell was found in their jurisdiction “unharmed” at around 11:30 a.m. local time. We were also told deputies “took action” to ensure the “Drake & Josh” alum received a “mental health evaluation.”
Just one day before he was declared missing, he had been seen with his son at SeaWorld. The sudden disappearance of Bell had come as a shock after he had been spending the day with his son at Seaworld in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday. However, it’s unknown if his son was with him when he went missing, was found or when he spoke out. The actor-turned-singer shares his son with his estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling, whom he is currently separated from.
Page Six was the first to report in January that Von Schmeling is seeking a divorce after several incidents pertaining to Bell’s substance abuse that happened in front of their son last year. At the time, Bell was on probation after he pleaded guilty in 2021 to two criminal charges for child endangerment and a disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Prosecutors claimed he met a girl who attended one of his concerts in Cleveland in 2017 and sent her “inappropriate social media messages.” He was also charged with driving under the influence in 2015.
