Drake Bell has broken his silence after being declared missing on April 13. In a single tweet shared on Thursday evening, he wrote, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?” He did not reveal where he was when he was reported missing or how he was found.
You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this? 😂
— DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) April 13, 2023
The former Nickelodeon star, 36, was formally declared “missing and endangered” by the Daytona Beach Police Department via a Facebook post, seen here. An update published at 1:29 p.m. ET revealed that he had been located and was “safe”. The original post read, “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 9p.m. He is considered missing and endangered.”
It is not known who initially contacted the police about the actor’s whereabouts. Fans may be surprised that he was in Florida, as Drake moved to Mexico a few years ago, where he experienced a great revival of his music career. “Growing up in Southern California, there has always been a Mexican influence, especially where I grew up, which is Orange County, so I always kept [that] in mind,” the teen star told Esquire Mexico (via Ok!) about his 2019 move. “I went all the time and when I started doing tours, I got to know places that I fell in love with.”
Drake last made headlines in 2021 when he was sentenced to two years probation and 200 hours of community service by an Ohio judge for endangering a minor, per Deadline. He originally pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted child endangering and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, but changed his plea in June of that year. During the July 12 sentencing, the victim accused Drake of “preying” on her as well as sexually abusing her — something for which he was not charged.
Just before the sentencing, the former Drake and Josh star became a father for the first time when his wife at the time, Janet Von Schmeling, gave birth to their son. Drake made the announcement on Twitter while referencing the allegations made against him. “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,” he tweeted in Spanish. “Thank you very much to all my fans around the world for your good wishes.”