Drake Bell’s Wife Janet "Files for Divorce" a Week After Actor Went "Missing"

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of child abuse and suicide that some readers may find distressing.

Drake Bell's personal life is in the headlines once again as his wife, Janet Von Schmeling, filed for divorce just a week after Bell was reported missing and endangered in Florida. Bell and Von Schmeling had been married since 2018 and share a son together. While often quiet about their relationship, Bell and Von Schmeling confirmed that they had wed and had a son in a 2021 tweet. Now, according to court documents, Von Schmeling has filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences," reported People.

Von Schmeling is requesting legal and physical custody of their son as well as spousal support, according to the documents filed in Los Angeles County's Superior Court on Thursday. In January, a source said that Bell and Von Schmeling were "committed to maintaining a peaceful co-parenting relationship and giving their son the best life possible" after separating late last year.

The divorce filing comes after a turbulent few years for Bell, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with his roles on The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh. In 2020, he was accused by his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt of verbal and physical abuse, though Bell has denied the allegations. In 2016, he was charged with a misdemeanor and served one day in jail for a 2015 suspicion of DUI.

More recently, in June 2021, Bell was arrested for attempted child endangerment and disseminating matters harmful to juveniles. The victim, who was 15 at the time, also accused him of sexual misconduct. Bell's attorney disputed the allegations, but he pleaded guilty to the endangerment charges and was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Additionally, he was told not to contact the victim.

The news of their divorce comes just a week after Bell was reported missing and endangered in Florida. The Daytona Beach Police Department announced on Facebook on April 13 that officers were looking for Bell. But, by the afternoon he had been found and confirmed to be safe.

According to a police report cited by TMZ, the incident began after the Drake & Josh star's brother Robert Bell called the Orlando Police Department to report that Bell was claiming he did not want to be alive following child custody concerns. In a 911 audio recording obtained by Entertainment Tonight, an Orlando police officer recounted the family's concerns about alleged suicidal statements by Bell.

Bell joked about the incident a day later in a since-deleted post on Twitter, writing, "You leave your phone in the car and don't answer for the night and this?" Bell has since been spotted in public during a trip to SeaWorld in Orlando with his son on Tuesday.

If you are having thoughts about taking your own life or know of anyone who is, please contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)