UPDATE: Shortly before 1:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, The Daytona Beach Police Department said Drake Bell was “safe” and in contact with authorities.
ORIGINAL STORY: Police in Daytona Beach, Fla., are searching for actor Drake Bell, who is currently “considered missing and endangered.”
The Daytona Beach Police Department released a statement on Thursday claiming Bell, whose real name is Jared Drake Bell, is being sought by authorities.
Bell is best known for his starring role in the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh, which ran for four seasons between 2004 and 2007. He also starred in The Amanda Show, a live sketch comedy show that starred Amanda Bynes and aired from 1999 to 2002. In the years since Drake & Josh, Bell pivoted to a music career.
“He should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW,” the police department wrote in its callout for information.
They claimed Bell, 36, had last been seen Wednesday just before 9 p.m. in the area of Mainland High School in Daytona Beach.
Representatives for Bell have yet to release any more information about his disappearance.
Bell’s reputation took a massive hit in 2021 when he pleaded guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. In the case, Bell admitted to sending sexually explicit photos to a 15-year-old girl in 2017. He recently completed his two-year probation.
In 2015, an ex-girlfriend accused Bell of verbal and physical abuse against her in the 2000s. He denied the allegations.
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Anyone with information about Bell is being asked to contact Det. Jayson Wallace at 386-671-5207 or wallacejayson@dbpd.us.
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