Drake Bell once topped the headlines as one of Nickelodeon's most prominent stars from The Amanda Show, and then he went on to see even more fame through his starring role in the hit series Drake And Josh. He hit it big as a teenage actor thanks to his success with the network, but sadly, he soon began to make the headlines for reasons other than his starring roles.
Bell has had a few run ins with the law and has steadily been establishing a criminal history, with the most recent allegations against him being the most damning. Variety reports that although the details are not entirely clear at this time, they are related to inappropriate conduct with a minor.
8 The First DUI
It appears that Drake's criminal record was squeaky clean until 2009. It was at that time that he was caught driving under the influence in San Diego. This was his first major run-in with the law, so at the time, there wasn't much thought of this or reported about it. He was formally charged with a DUI in 2010, after presumably trying to fight the charge.
7 The Second DUI
It appears the first warning wasn't loud enough, as Bell found himself in the same sort of trouble in 2015. Reports indicate that it was just after 2:45 am in Glendale, California, when police observed a vehicle driving erratically . Bell was swerving and driving way above the posted speed limit and was subsequently arrested and charged.
According to People, he was released on a $20,000 bond.
6 The First Jail-Stint
Drake Bell pleaded not guilty on his 2nd driving under the influence charge, but since it was his second DUI, it carried a mandatory jail term. In September of 2016, he was found guilty and sentenced to four days in jail along with a four-year probation period and the mandatory requirement to attend an alcohol education program. Bell served one day in jail, which the court cited was due to "good behavior."
5 Disturbing Allegations Rise To The Surface
In 2020, some strange and disturbing allegations rose to the surface, and this was the first time that Drake Bell's character really began to be under scrutiny. Bell's ex-girlfriend, Melissa Lingafelt, who uses her career name Jimi Ono, stated that Bell had emotionally and physically abused her. The two were a couple in 2006, and she was 16 at the time. Bell was 20-years-old.
Lingafelt stated it was the "worst type of verbal abuse you could imagine," and when it turned into physical violence she said "he dragged me down the stairs in our house in Los Feliz, my face hit every step on the way down."
In a TikTok video, she also made a horrifying statement saying; "I don’t even want to get into the underaged girls thing. I mean, I will. But I’m scared.”
4 Signs Of Trouble With A Minor
Signs of trouble with a minor crept up on Drake Bell once again in 2017. It was reported that he exchanged a series of inappropriate messages with a minor leading up to his December 2017 concert which were "sexual in nature."
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office went on to say that the victim was 15-years-old, and that she had filed a report against Bell in 2018 with a police department in Canada. The incident took place in Cleveland.
The report revealed that years prior, the victim was in an intimate relationship with Bell for years before she filed her complaint.
3 The Incident At The Concert
It has just come to light that in 2017, at Drake Bell's concert, Bell "violated his duty of care" and put the victim in harms way. There were no further details released about precisely what the incident was that occurred. However, it eventually surfaced that the allegations were of a sexual nature. The age difference between Bell and his victim was in question, and the investigation continued to unfold.
2 Charged With Crime Against A Child
On June 4th, 2021, charges were laid against Bell, and he was arrested and taken into police custody in Cleveland, Ohio. The charges were reported to be relating to; "attempted endangering [of] children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles."
The age of the victim and the nature of his correspondence with her is the subject of the charges, along with any possible interactions they had by way of messaging, or physical interactions.
1 Pleads Not Guilty
Through all of this, Bell has maintained his innocence. He attended court and entered a plea of not guilty on the charges, and shockingly he was released on bail of just $2,500. That dollar value is a very small one, considering his last bail amount on his DUI was set at $20,000.
With these new charges, he was also forced to submit a DNA sample and agree not to have any contact whatsoever with the alleged victim in question.
He is scheduled to appear in court once again on June 23rd for a pre-trial hearing. It is expected that more information about these new charges will be revealed at that time.
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