Former child actor, and co-star on the popular Nickelodeon show, Drake & Josh, Drake Bell, has been found safe, according to Daytona Beach police. The actor/musician was reported missing on Thursday morning via a Facebook post made by area police. He was reportedly last seen at 9 pm on Wednesday, driving a gray BMW, and was “considered missing and endangered.”
Around 1:30 pm on Thursday, Daytona Beach Police released an update saying that Drake Bell was found safe and was in contact with police.
The actor took to social media shortly afterward, saying in a tweet, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night, and this?”
Drake Bell’s career as a child actor was thrown into overdrive when he was cast on the hit Nickelodeon tv show The Amanda Show, starring Amanda Bynes. Following that stint, he went on to co-star with actor Josh Peck in Drake & Bell, which went on to run successfully for three years.
Drake Bell has been out of the headlines since legal issues in 2021 put him front and center. Bell had been accused of grooming an underage girl online and sexual misconduct. Despite his attorney’s attempts to fight the charges, Bell pled guilty to the charges of felony attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, which is a misdemeanor.
In a brief statement made to the judge via Zoom, Bell said, “I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong, I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, but that was obviously not my intention. I have taken this matter very, very seriously. And again, I just want to apologize to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions.”
He was sentenced to 2 years probation and 200 hours of community service.
