It’s officially over. Drake Bell’s estranged wife, Janet Von Schmeling, has filed for divorce just one week after the Nickelodeon alum’s disappearance, Us Weekly can confirm.
Von Schmeling, 28, filed the paperwork on Thursday, April 20, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. According to documents obtained by TMZ, who were first to report the news, the Florida native is seeking primary legal and physical custody of the pair’s 2-year-old son, Wyatt, but requested that Bell, 36, would be granted visitation rights. She is also seeking spousal support.
The former child star was previously declared missing by the Daytona Beach Police Department on Thursday, April 13. “Officers are looking for Jared Bell, DOB 06/27/1986,” read a Facebook post shared by the department at the time. “He should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9 p.m. He is considered missing and endangered.”
Hours later, the DBPD shared an update that Bell had been found. “We can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe,” read another Facebook statement. The Drake & Josh alum, for his part, declared the entire situation had been a misunderstanding later that day. “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?” he tweeted on Thursday, adding a crying laughing emoji.
After Bell was found, an insider exclusively told Us that his family and friends were “worried” about him before his disappearance. “There was some communication with family members that caused concern,” the source explained at the time.
According to the 911 call about Bell going “missing,” authorities were concerned about a “possible attempted suicide” after the Zoey 101 alum allegedly sent concerning text messages to his loved ones in California while staying at an Orlando, Florida, hotel. “Basically, there is a celebrity who had a falling out with his wife,” a 911 operator said on the call.
Bell and Von Schmeling tied the knot in 2018 and went on to welcome their son in June 2021. In November 2022, the model claimed via Instagram that the twosome had “separated” but deleted the post. The pair officially called it quits one month later.
“I’m HEALING and trying to find peace. This will be a process. My son is with me and will stay with me, We are in Florida with family and we are safe,” she wrote via Instagram in December 2022. “We are finding our forever home here.”
In July 2021, Bell was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service in California after he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in 2017. During his probation, Us obtained photos of Bell appearing to huff balloons on two separate occasions in December 2022.
Two days before Von Schmeling filed for divorce from the Superhero Movie actor, she celebrated their son’s second birthday.
“I can’t believe you’re 2!!!!” read an Instagram Story reposted by the entrepreneur on Monday, April 17. The post — originally shared by her sister Victoria — included a montage of the toddler hanging out with family members during a Baby Shark-themed birthday party.
“This morning I woke up w/ a 2 year old,” Von Schmeling captioned another video from the soirée.
