Drake Bell and Janet Von Schmeling End Marriage ‘With Love and Respect’
Drake Bell is moving forward with his divorce from estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling, officially taking the next step two years after she first initiated their separation.
The former Nickelodeon star, 39, filed for divorce in Seminole County, Florida, on Thursday, August 14, according to reports from TMZ and Entertainment Weekly.
Bell’s manager, Juan José Rovirosa, shared a statement with EW confirming that this filing was the natural continuation of a process that began last year. “The process began back in 2023 when his wife filed citing irreconcilable differences,” Rovirosa explained. “At this stage, both of them are simply concluding that legal process. Their priority remains the safety and well-being of their son, and they are doing so from a place of love and respect — closing a beautiful chapter of their lives that now evolves into a different form of love and complicity, always centered on their child’s best interests.”
Bell’s attorney, Brittany Staggs, also emphasized that the former couple is prioritizing their privacy during this transition. “At this time, Mr. Bell and his wife would like privacy as they transition into this new phase of their life,” she told TMZ.
Von Schmeling, 30, initially filed for divorce from Bell in April 2023, citing irreconcilable differences after four years of marriage. According to the filing, the pair had been separated since September 2022. Her decision to move forward with the separation came just days after Bell was reported missing and later found safe by police in Daytona Beach, Florida.
At the time, Von Schmeling requested primary legal and physical custody of their now 4-year-old son, Wyatt, though she asked that Bell maintain visitation rights. She also sought spousal support in her petition.
Bell and Von Schmeling married in 2018, though the couple kept both their wedding and the birth of their son private until June 2021, when the actor confirmed the news publicly.
Since their split, Von Schmeling has moved on with her partner Jim Perez, with whom she is now expecting her second child. Back in February, she announced the pregnancy on Instagram, sharing, “Our Rainbow Baby 🌈 September cannot come sooner ❤️,” alongside an ultrasound photo.
She has also spoken openly about Perez’s bond with her son Wyatt, praising him on Father’s Day in June. “He chose us… In the big ways, in the quiet moments, and all the in-betweens. He became the man Wyatt and I didn’t know we needed… And now, we’re counting down the days until our baby girl gets to be with her daddy too. 💞,” she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
Von Schmeling continued, “Happy (early) Father’s Day to the man who showed up with love and never looked back. 💙.”