Drake Bell has denied accusations of abuse alleged by ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt.
Bell told People that he “never abused my ex-girlfriend or did so many of the other things Melissa falsely claimed on her TikTok video,” following the clip posted by Lingafelt on Wednesday.
He continued, “As our relationship ended—more than a decade ago—we, unfortunately, both called each other terrible names, as often happens when couples are breaking up. But that is it.
Bell said that she "still felt close enough to me just last year that she was comfortable reaching out to ask me to provide her with financial support during a tough time (which I did),” but that he does not know if her "behavior" is “some kind of misguided quest for more money or attention." He added that he will "not allow these offensive and defamatory allegations to go unchallenged," and that he is "reviewing" his legal options.
In the clip, Lingafelt claimed that the Drake & Josh star verbally and physically abused her when they were in a relationship from 2006 to 2009.
Lingafelt began dating Bell when she was 16 and he was 20, and alleged in the video that verbal abuse began about a year into the relationship.
“First off I’d like to start out by saying I don’t really care if anyone believes me, as this is my story and my life and something that I went through,” she said. “It wasn’t until recently that I actually realized that abuse isn’t something that all women have to go through.”
Lingafelt, now 30, accused Bell, now 34, of "the worst type of verbal abuse you could ever imagine."
She said that verbal abuse soon transformed into physical abuse. “It then turned to physical—hitting, throwing, everything,” Lingafelt continued. “At the pinnacle of it, he drug [sic] me down the stairs of our house on Los Feliz.”
Lingafelt added that she has photos of her injuries, as well as witnesses who can attest to the abuse.
