The wife of former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has reportedly filed for divorce, one week after the actor made headlines for being reported missing. According to a new report from TMZ, Bell’s wife of four years, Janet Von Schemling, filed for divorce sometime this week. The documents obtained by TMZ reportedly reveal that Bell and Von Schemling separated in September of last year, and that she is now seeking the divorce for “irreconcilable differences.” Von Schemling is reportedly also seeking primary legal and physical custody of their son together, one-year-old Wyatt Bell. Bell would be granted visitation rights, and would be asked to pay spousal support.
Videos by ComicBook.com
This comes just days after Bell was reported missing by authorities in Florida, with the Daytona Beach Police Department dubbing him “missing and endangered.” He was later found to be safe and sound, and reportedly received a mental health evaluation following the ordeal.
Bell is best known for starring in multiple Nickelodeon projects, including The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, and the live-action The Fairly OddParents movies. He also voiced Peter Parker / Spider-Man on the Disney XD series Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bell has caught attention for multiple legal matters over the years, beginning with an arrest for driving under the influence in December of 2015. Bell pled guilty to that charge in 2016, and was sentenced to four days in jail and four years’ probation. In 2021, Bell was arrested in Cleveland, Ohio on charges of endangerment, following a relationship he had with an underage fan, who also accused him of sexual assault. Bell eventually pled guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, and was sentenced to two years probation and 200 hours of community service. He has since been registered as a sex offender.
“I know that this has moved very quickly for you, but for me, it’s been a three-year, thorough investigation into every false claim that has been made,” Bell said in a social media post surrounding the case. “And, it’s not me telling you that the claims are false, but the state of Ohio has proven the claims to be false. If these claims were remotely true, my situation would be very different. I would not be here at home with my wife and with my son. But that being said, I am not perfect, and I make mistakes.”
He continued, “When I was presented with a plea deal because of the messages, I felt that it was the best way to get this over quickly and for everybody involved to be able to move on and for me to get back to doing what I love.”
