Drake Bell’s estranged wife has reportedly filed for divorce.
According to legal documents reviewed by TMZ, 28-year-old actress Janet Von Schmeling submitted the filing sometime this week, just days after the 36-year-old embattled actorbriefly went missing. Drake and Schmeling purportedly tied the knot four years ago, and welcomed their first and only child together—a boy named Wyatt Bell—in summer 2021.
The mother, who listed “irreconcilable differences” in the filing, is allegedly seeking primary legal and physical custody of their son as well as spousal support. TMZ writes that she also wants Bell to receive visitation rights.
The legal documents state Bell and Schmeling have been separated since September 2022, but didn’t publicly announce their decision until early 2023.
News of the divorce filing comes about a week after Bell’s family reported him “missing and endangered.” According to TMZ, Bell’s brother Robert told police his brother was making suicidal statements prior to his disappearance. A police reports states Bell had gone to Winter Park, Florida, to meet with Schmeling and discuss their custody agreement. He then reportedly sent alarming texts to his mother, claiming he was going to “drink excessively and hang himself.”
His family, who was in California at the time, then alerted police about their concerns.
Bell was found safe just hours after he was reported missing. Police said they made contact with the actor and ensured he received a mental health evaluation.
The Drake & Josh star addressed the incident in a since-deleted Thursday tweet. “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this? 😂”
In addition to promoting a new song arriving at midnight, he went on to write in two posts, “It truly blows my mind how mean people are on here to people clearly dealing with mental health issues. It’s unreal how cruel you all can be. There’s literally obviously zero reason to keep doing this!! All I get is attacked. Hopefully you like the new song I put out its literally all I have left in me.”
