Actor Drake Bell found after being reported 'missing and endangered' in Florida

Christopher Polk/Getty Images Drake Bell

Former Nickelodeon star and musician Drake Bell has been found after he was reported missing in Florida.

The Daytona Beach Police Department confirmed Thursday that the actor, 36, has been located and is safe after he was reported "missing and endangered" Wednesday. The Drake & Josh star's last known location was reported to be around the Mainland High School area just before 9 p.m. local time.

Reps for the police department and Bell, whose legal name is Jared Drake Bell, did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

Bell is best known for his role on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh, centered on the misadventures of two teenage stepbrothers with contrasting personalities. He starred opposite Josh Peck in the series that also featured Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor, Nancy Sullivan, and Jonathan Goldstein. His other credits include The Amanda Show, All That, A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!, and Superhero Movie.

The star has been mired in controversy lately, having previously been sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to charges of child endangerment and disseminating harmful material to a minor, who accused him of sending "blatantly sexual" communication to her when she was 15.

"I responded to a fan whose age I didn't know. When I became aware of their age, all conversation and communication stopped," Bell said during the 2021 hearing. "This individual continued to come to shows and pay for meet-and-greets, and although I was unaware that this was the same person I was communicating with online, that's what I pled guilty to."

Bell's ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt (also known by her stage known Jimi Ono) also accused him of emotional and physical abuse in 2020, allegations that the actor has denied.

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