Drake Bell Privately Welcomed Son and Got Married and Ahead of Legal Issues

Drake Bell confirms he’s welcomed a son and has been married to Janet Von Schmeling for almost three years amid speculation into his personal life following his latest run-in with police. In a tweet, written in Spanish, the former Nickelodeon star set the record straight on his family situation. “In response to various rumors that are incorrect, I have been married for almost three years, and we are blessed to be the parents of a wonderful son. Thank you very much to all my fans around the world for your good wishes,” he wrote.

Bell was photographed on an outing with his wife and child at Disneyland, marking the first time the actor and musician was spotted after pleading guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles last month. The singer was arrested on June 3 by police in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was charged with the fourth-degree felony and first-degree misdemeanor. Bell originally plead not guilty to both charges but had a change of tune on June 23. According to the Drake and Josh star’s lawyer, the reason behind the changed plea should be revealed at his upcoming sentencing hearing, which is scheduled to take place next week on July 12.

The indictment stems from an incident in which the Superhero Movie actor allegedly took advantage of a 15-year-old girl at a Cleveland nightclub in 2017. The police investigation “revealed that the victim, who had established a relationship with Bell several years prior, attended his concert in December 2017. While there, Bell violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim. The investigation also revealed that months leading up to the concert, Bell sent the victim inappropriate social media messages,” (per E! News). The girl in question filed a police report in 2018 with her local Canadian police department. At which point, Canadian authorities began a correspondence with police in Cleveland. Thus, prompting the investigation and subsequent arrest. Now that the girl is an adult, she will now be able to share a victim impact statement at Bell’s sentencing hearing next week where he faces up to two years in prison for the charges.