Drake Bell’s wife Janet Von Schmeling, filed for divorce a week after Bell was reported missing and in danger in Florida before being recovered unharmed. The dissolution of marriage petition submitted on Thursday in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court lists “irreconcilable differences” as the reason given by Von Schmeling.
According to the paperwork, Von Schmeling, 28, is also asking for spousal support, legal and physical custody of the infant born to the couple, and child support. When PEOPLE asked a Bell representative for comment, they did not do so right away.
A week after the 36-year-old former child star was reported missing in Daytona Beach, Florida, the divorce paperwork was filed. On April 13, the Daytona Beach Police Department first revealed on Facebook that Bell was being sought. But he had been discovered by the afternoon.
Read about some more marriages that eventually end in divorce:
- Janet Von Schmeling, Drake Bell’s Estranged Wife, Officially Files For Divorce One Week After He Goes Missing
- Dan Reynolds Of Imagine Dragons Divorce And His Ex-Wife Aja Volkman
In a statement released by the Daytona Beach PD, it was stated that “at this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe.”
A police report obtained by TMZ claims that the incident started when the Drake & Josh actor’s brother Robert called the Orlando Police Department to report that Bell was claiming he didn’t want to be alive due to child custody issues. An Orlando police officer described the family’s worries regarding Bell’s purported suicidal utterances in a 911 audio recording that Entertainment Tonight was able to obtain.
The next day, he made light of the situation in a since-deleted tweet, writing, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t respond for the night, and this?
Como respuesta a varios rumores que son incorrectos, yo hemos estado casados por casi 3 años, y tenemos la bendición de ser padres de un maravilloso hijo.
Muchas gracias a todos mis fans alrededor del mundo por sus buenos deseos.
— DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) June 30, 2021
According to a picture acquired by TMZ, Bell was spotted spending time with his young son Jeremy at Sea World just days prior to the incident. Bell and his son, who is carrying a plush Cookie Monster toy, are visible in the photo outdoors at the park.
After divorcing in the latter part of 2017, a source informed PEOPLE in January that Bell and Von Schmeling were “committed to maintaining a peaceful co-parenting relationship and giving their son the best life they can.” Despite frequently keeping their romance private, Bell and Von Schmeling revealed in a 2021 tweet that they were married and had a son.
“In response to various rumors that are incorrect, I have been married for almost 3 years, and we are blessed to be the parents of a wonderful son,” Bell, who performs under the stage name Drake Campana, tweeted in Spanish at the time. “Thank you very much to all my fans around the world for your good wishes.”
In recent years, Bell has frequently made news for his antics. Bell first gained notoriety in the 2000s for his roles on The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh with Josh Peck. In 2020, his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt accused him of physically and verbally abusing her; he has refuted the claims.
He also faced a misdemeanor charge in 2016 and spent a day in jail for a 2015 suspected DUI. The Nickelodeon actor was detained in June 2021 after being accused of sexual assault by his victim, who was 15 at the time, but his lawyer denied the accusations.
He was also charged with attempted child endangerment and spreading harmful information to minors. He was given a two-year probationary period and 200 hours of community service after entering a guilty plea to the charges of endangerment. In addition, he was instructed not to speak with the victim.
Visit lakecountyfloridanews.com if you want to find important details.
