The former Nickelodeon star's estranged wife filed for divorce in 2023 after nearly five years of marriage. Meet Janet Von Schmeling, here.
Image Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Drake Bell was best known for starring on the Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh with Josh Peck. The popular kids' show ran from 2004 to 2007. Drake even sat down with Hollywood Life to discuss a possible reunion for the show a few years ago. “There were our ups and downs about it, but man, I'd go back in a second,” he said on the HollywoodLife podcast. Amid his hiatus from acting, Drake married his now-estranged wife, Janet Von Schmeling,in 2018.
Although the former pair were once happy together, Drake went through a string of legal problems over the last few years. In 2021, Drake was arrested for child endangerment following an alleged incident at one of Drake's concerts in 2017 when he was 31. The victim, then 15, later accused him of sexual assault during the trial. After initially pleading not guilty, Drake wound up pleading guilty and was sentenced to 200 hours community service and two years of probation.
Janet reportedly filed for divorce from Drake one week after he was reported missing in mid-2023. Now, nearly one year later, the “I Found a Way” artist reflected on his legal problems and mental health during his emotional appearance on ID's 2024 Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV docuseries.
Drake Bell, Janey Von Schmeling and their baby boy. (Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock)
Although Drake didn't mention his estranged wife in the new docuseries, he rehashed his legal battles and trauma from working with disgraced former dialogue coach Brian Peck. Let's learn more about Janet, below.
Janet Is An Actress
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While very little is publicly known about Janet, her Instagram gives a bit of a peek into the life of the young beauty. She happens to be an actor, which is not too surprising, as Hollywood types like to run in packs. The young beauty has posted about some of her roles, including the TV procedurals SWAT and Criminal Minds.
She Secretly Wed Drake
Again, there is little known about her prior romance with Drake, as they are both very private. However, Drake took to Twitter (now known as X) in 2021 to reveal he had married Janet. “In response to various rumors that are incorrect, I have been married for almost 3 years, and we are blessed to be the parents of a wonderful son,” Drake tweeted in Spanish at the time. “Thank you very much to all my fans around the world for your good wishes.”
According to an insider, Drake and Janet had been dating for five years before they said “I do.”
Janet & Drake Share a Child
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As mentioned above, Drake revealed he and Janet had welcomed their first child, a son, together when he dropped the news about their marriage. The former couple have yet to officially reveal his name.
They Reportedly Separated In 2022
The pair reportedly split toward the end of 2022. In January, PEOPLE reported they had separated “a few months prior.” The outlet's source added, “Janet is devoted to raising their son. Drake and Janet are committed to maintaining a peaceful co-parenting relationship and giving their son the best life possible.” Janet previously claimed via Instagram in November 2022 that the twosome had “separated,” but later deleted the post, per Us Weekly.
Most recently, Janet re-confirmed they separated in September 2022 in her divorce filing originally obtained by TMZ on April 20, 2023. The mom allegedly cited “irreconcilable differences” as her reason to divorce the singer after he was reported missing one week prior. Hollywood Life reached out to reps for the actor but did not receive an immediate response.
She's Making Florida Her ‘Forever Home'
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One month after the reported split, Janet was keeping her head up by focusing on her and her son's well-being. “I'm HEALING and trying to find peace,” she wrote on Instagram, per Us Weekly. “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. We are finding our forever home here.”
