CONTENT WARNING: The following article discusses abuse and domestic violence
Former Nickelodeon and Drake & Josh star, Drake Bell has been accused of emotional and physical abuse by his ex-girlfriend. The allegations came through a string of videos on TikTok back on Wednesday, as Entertainment Weekly reports.
Melissa Lingafelt detailed their relationship in a video uploaded to TikTok. She explained that she dated Drake Bell in 2006 for two years.
“I started dating Drake when I was 16. I was homeschooled, I moved in with him. I was singing,” she begins.
“It wasn’t until about a year when the verbal abuse started, and when I say verbal abuse, imagine the worst type of verbal abuse you could imagine and that’s what I got.”
“The verbal abuse then turned to physical. Hitting, throwing. Everything. At the pinnacle of it, he dragged me down the stairs in our house in Los Feliz, my face hit every step on the way down. I have photos of this.”
@jimionoThis is my truth. I hope this message reaches young girls, and that no one has to go through what I did. ##2020survivor
Lingafelt then uploaded screenshots of messages between her and her friend. She says that Drake Bell’s wife has DMed her, trying to discredit her story.
@jimionoI have witnesses. ##endabuseagainstwomen
She then shared a screenshot of another DM, where a woman alleges that Bell had sex with her underage friend in 2007.
@jimionoReposting with name blurred. My bad. May the victims of drake bell get justice tho. ##endabuseagainstwomen
The videos continue.
@jimionoReposting with blurred name. This is what I was hoping for. There are several stories just like this out there. ##endabuseagainstwomen
@jimionoladies! Come forward, let’s unite and show we mean business and this will NOT be tolerated!! ##endabuseagainstwomen
@jimionoDo you believe us now? So proud of Paydin, drakes ex of 5 after me for being this brave. ##westandtogether ##endabusetowomen
Drake Bell denies the allegations. In a statement, he said, “We, unfortunately, both called each other terrible names, as often happens when couples are breaking up. But that is it.”
He called the allegations a, “misguided quest for more money or attention.”
He said, “Clearly, Melissa still felt close enough to me just last year that she was comfortable reaching out to ask me to provide her with financial support during a tough time (which I did).”
