Former child actor Drake Bell has been found safe in Florida after authorities were asking the public for tips on his whereabouts earlier on Thursday. The Drake & Josh star was considered to be “missing and endangered” on Thursday morning, when Daytona PD posted a missing persons report on their Facebook page.
The post revealed that the actor, born Jared Drake Bell, was traveling in a “2022 grey BMW” and his last known location was “potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9p.m.” While they didn’t provide any details about what happened, he was considered to be “missing and endangered.”
Daytona PD provided an update on their search, noting that Bell was found safe. “At this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe,” the post read. No other details were given.
Bell has had a tumultuous history after growing up in the limelight. After receiving a four-day prison sentence in 2015 following a DUI, Bell had a falling out with co-star Josh Peck in 2017, though they appeared to have patched things up since then. The actor has since filed for bankruptcy and has been serving a two-year probation in July 2021 following a guilty plea over allegations of child endangerment after he allegedly exchanged inappropriate messages with a teenager via Instagram.
Last December, Bell was seen huffing balloons in his car while his young son was in the backseat, which sparked concern over his wellbeing.