Drake Bell Continues to Speak out About the Horrific Abuse He Endured as a Child Star

Content warning: This article mentions domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Once a beloved star of the early 2000s, Drake Bell won the hearts of audiences of all ages on Nickelodeon hit shows like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh.

He also made a name for himself in music, first with the Drake & Josh soundtrack and later with six studio albums, both through record labels and independently.

In recent years, however, Bell has distanced himself from the limelight, following a series of controversies. But now, he appears to be gradually reentering the public eye. So, what happened to Drake Bell? Here's what you need to know.

Drake Bell has encountered several legal issues over the years, beginning in 2010 when he was charged with driving under the influence in San Diego after an incident the previous year. Then, in December 2015, the actor was arrested for another DUI after police saw him swerving and driving significantly over the speed limit.

Released on a $20,000 bond, Drake pleaded not guilty to the charges. In September 2016, the Nickelodeon star ultimately pleaded guilty. He received a sentence of four days in jail, four years of probation, and mandatory attendance at an alcohol education program. He served just one day in jail due to good behavior.

In August 2020, Drake faced serious accusations from his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Lingafelt, who claimed he had verbally and physically abused her during their three-year relationship in the late 2000s. She also accused him of inappropriate behavior with underage girls.

Drake Bell denied the allegations in a statement to Variety, explaining that while they did exchange hurtful words during their breakup, there was no truth to the accusations.

On June 4, 2021, Drake was arrested in Cleveland on charges of "attempted endangering children" and "disseminating matter harmful to juveniles."

According to a public information officer with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the 15-year-old victim, who had established a relationship with the child star years earlier, attended his concert in December 2017. During the event, Drake allegedly "violated his duty of care, and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim."

Cleveland police also discovered that Drake Bell had sent the minor "inappropriate social media messages" for several months prior to the concert. He was 31 at the time of the alleged incident.

Drake pleaded not guilty, was released on a $2,500 personal bond, and ordered to provide a DNA sample. He was also instructed to have no contact with the accuser, and a pretrial hearing was scheduled for June 23.

On June 23, 2021, Drake pleaded guilty to both charges. A few weeks later, on July 12, the victim made a statement publicly accusing him of sexually assaulting her while she was underage, in addition to the endangerment charges.

Drake was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service, which he was allowed to complete in California. He was also banned from having any contact with the victim.

In a since-deleted video, Drake claimed he stopped texting his accuser once he learned her age and emphasized that no explicit images were exchanged.

According to NBC Chicago, Drake explained that he accepted a plea deal because "I felt that this was the best way to get this over quickly, and for everyone involved to be able to move on."

In 2024, Drake Bell shockingly revealed that his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, repeatedly sexually assaulted him when he was 15. This occurred during the period between filming the final season of The Amanda Show and the beginning of Drake & Josh.

Peck was arrested on Aug. 19, 2003, and later convicted of lewd conduct with a minor.

Due to his young age, Drake's identity as the victim was kept confidential in the court records. It wasn't until 2024, in the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids' TV, that Drake courageously shared his story and revealed his identity.

On the March 22, 2024, episode of The Sarah Fraser Show podcast, Drake opened up about checking himself into rehab after his interview for the documentary.

"I just felt really comfortable in that interview, but I was going through so much in my personal life and after that interview, I ended up checking myself into rehab," he shared on the podcast. "We were going through a lot of trauma therapy, a lot of group therapy, a lot of one-on-one therapy — your entire day was filled with working through and processing this with a clear mind, and unearthing all of these things that I hadn’t faced head-on, or if I had tried to, it was too painful."

He added, "Once I got out, I thought to myself, 'Maybe this is a good time to reach back out to them and say hey, I'm not 100% yet, let's talk some more, but I'm getting closer to feeling comfortable with finally sharing my story.'"

As he continues to speak out about the abuse he experienced as a child star, Drake is gradually making his return to the entertainment world. Not only has he recently been touring across the country, performing his music, but in a surprising moment, he was revealed as the Ice King on the Nov. 20, 2024, episode of The Masked Singer!

"What originally drew me to The Masked Singer was just doing something out of my element and doing something fun," he said. "I'm always working and performing. And I thought, to go and put some crazy costume on and sing different songs that you wouldn't normally sing, to learn this choreography and have these big productions around you, it just seemed like it'd be a total blast."