Drake Bell, former Nickelodeon star and musician, has been found.
A few hours after he was reported missing in Florida, the Daytona Beach Police Department posted on Facebook that the actor is “safe.”
“At this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe,” the post reads, without providing further details.
The Daytona Beach Police Department had previously said they were looking for the Drake & Josh actor, who was last seen traveling in a 2022 grey BMW, Carrie McCallister, a Daytona PD public information officer, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was possibly last seen on Wednesday just before 9 p.m. local time “potentially” in the area of Mainland High School. “He is considered missing and endangered,” the statement added.
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As the case was currently an active investigation, the Daytona PD spokesperson earlier Thursday declined to comment further on who reported him missing, if there was any suspected cause for his disappearance or if the department currently had any leads.
On the department’s Facebook page, authorities dispelled rumors that the report was fake. “For those asking, this is a legitimate post from the Daytona Beach Police Department. If you have any information, please contact Detective Jayson Wallace,” a reply to the post reads.
On Friday, Bell seemed to poke fun at the incident writing on Twitter, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?”
Bell, who rose to fame as a child star with his roles on Nickelodeon series like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, last made headlines in 2021 after pleading guilty to child endangerment. He was sentenced to two years probation on child endangerment charges and 200 hours of community service for his conduct spanning years with a fan, whom he met online and then in person, while she was a minor.
Updated 10:56 a.m. PT: Added police statement that Bell has been found and is “safe.”
April 14, 8:28 a.m. PT: Updated with Drake Bell’s tweet.
