Drake Bell finally speaks about his mysterious disappearance

Drake Bell had a justification for being missing. The Nickelodeon alum addressed the situation hours after being sought out and discovered by authorities. On April 13, he tweeted, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?” with a laughing emoji.

The Drake & Josh actor said nothing more about the incident or offered any other details. Bell, who hadn’t been seen since April 12 at around 9 p.m. in Florida, was the subject of a missing persons alert posted earlier in the day on Facebook by the Daytona Beach Police Department.

The post included a photo of the 36-year-old and stated, “He should be travelling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is possibly the area of Mainland High School. He is regarded as being missing and in danger.”

Officials announced Bell had been located four hours after the initial message, adding, “We can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe.”

Prior to his brief hiatus, Bell had one final public appearance on April 11, when he and his son were spotted visiting SeaWorld in Orlando. Bell and his former wife Janet Von Schmeling, who separated from the actor in January as he sought outpatient treatment for substance problems, share a 2-year-old.

Bell has had encounters with law enforcement in the past as well. In July 2021, Bell entered a plea of guilty to attempted child endangerment in a Cleveland court and was given a sentence of two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.