Actor Drake Bell 'Safe' After Going Missing In Florida, Police Say

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — Actor Jared "Drake" Bell, who rose to fame as the star of Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" in the early 2000s is in contact with law enforcement officials and is "safe," Daytona Beach police confirmed to Patch Thursday afternoon.

Bell was previously missing and considered to be endangered, according to a post by the Daytona Beach Police Department Thursday morning.

The actor was confirmed missing Thursday morning after he was last seen "potentially in the area of Mainland High School on Wednesday just before 9 p.m.," police previously said.

Bell was sentenced to two years of probation in July 2021 after he pleaded guilty to attempted endangering of a child, disseminating material harmful to juveniles, and more. He could have been sentenced to 2 years in prison, but instead received probation after striking a deal with prosecutors, People Magazine reported.

“I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong,” Bell said at the time. “I'm sorry the victim was harmed. It was not my intention.”

The incident at the heart of the charges took place Dec. 1 and 2 in 2017, according to court and police records. Bell was scheduled to play a concert at the Odeon that month and began a relationship with a teenage girl on social media at that time, court records said.

Bell is an actor best known for his role in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake and Josh" from January 2004-September 2007. He has also spent time touring as a musician.

In the most recent video posted on his YouTube channel March 23, with its thumbnail showing Bell bloodied, bruised, and wearing a neck brace, Bell recounts the time he "almost died" in a car crash during his time on the sitcom. In the video, Bell—clad in a Guns N' Roses T-shirt and tattoo sleeves on both arms—sits holding a guitar in his lap as he shares the harrowing tale.

Bell has only in recent months begun sharing vlog-style videos on his YouTube channel, which had previously housed only uploads of studio versions of his songs. He has also been teasing an upcoming album.