Drake Bell Reportedly Had Falling Out With Wife According to 911 Call

Drake Bell was reportedly fighting with his wife before his headline-grabbing disappearance this week, and he may have been suffering from mental health issues. According to a 911 call recording published by TMZ, Bell "made suicidal statements" to his family before he went missing on Thursday. This adds new context to the panic around his case.

The latest 911 recordings reveal members of the Orlando Police Department reviewing the family's concern for Bell's mental health. Officers first heard from Bell's brother that the actor had mentioned suicide in graphic detail before he went missing, and also that he had stated plans to go out and get drunk. The source of the despair was believed to be Bell's estranged relationship with his wife, Janet Von Schmeling and their custody issues regarding their toddler son. In one recording, an officer refers to the case as a "possible attempted suicide" and adds: "Basically, there is a celebrity who had a falling out with his wife."

Bell's family was in California, but they called the police in Orlando, Florida after receiving upsetting texts from the actor and then abruptly finding him to be unreachable. Bell was seen with his son at SeaWorld on Tuesday and was then last seen driving on Wednesday night, but police eventually found him on Thursday afternoon. The actor responded publicly to the concerns on Twitter with a crying-laughing emoji, writing: "You leave your phone in the car and don't answer for the night and this?"

Still, Bell's brother Robert told police he was urgently concerned. He said that Bell was "distraught and made suicidal statements," and believed that his mental state was triggered by his visit to his estranged wife in Florida. As cavalier as the actor was online, he could not play it off as a misunderstanding for the police.

Bell was subjected to a mental health evaluation on Thursday when police finally caught up with him. It's unclear how that process played out. The actor has not offered any new information online himself, and his attorneys and other representatives have not made any new public statements.

Bell is best known for his roles as a child actor on The Amanda Show and Drake and Josh, both on Nickelodeon. He has had some prominent controversies in the last few years including allegations of abuse from his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt. In 2021, Bell was arrested for attempted child endangerment and disseminating matters harmful to juveniles. The case stemmed from an interaction with a fan who was 15 years old at the time. Bell eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years probation and 200 hours of community service. That sentence will be completed in July.