Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, 36, is responding after he was briefly reported as "missing and endangered" by the Daytona Beach Police Department on April 13.
In a release shared to Facebook on Thursday morning, the local police said that Bell had been last seen on April 12 just before 9 p.m. in the area of Mainland High School.
The department's post noted what car Bell was likely driving — a 2022 gray BMW — and said he should be "considered missing and endangered."
Then, in an update at 1:26 p.m. ET later that day, the Daytona Beach Police Department said that law enforcement was "in contact" with the actor and that "Mr. Bell is safe."
In a tweet shared after he was seemingly located, Bell responded.
"You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?" he asked.
TODAY.com reached out to Bell's representatives multiple times throughout the incident but did not hear back.
Bell, whose real first name is Jared, initially rose to fame on the children's network Nickelodeon in series like "The Amanda Show" and "Drake and Josh."
In 2021, he pleaded guilty to a felony attempted child endangerment charge and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, NBC News reported. He was sentenced to two years of probation in July 2021. He was also ordered to serve 200 hours of community service and have no contact with the victim.
Bell was accused of "grooming" a young girl from the age of 12, including sending her graphic photos and engaging in sexual misconduct in two separate incidents.
Bell’s lawyer, Ian Friedman, denied the allegations in a statement to NBC News at the time, saying that the victim's allegations "went beyond that which all parties agreed," "lack supporting evidence," and "are contradicted by the facts learned through extensive investigation.
"As the court made clear, this plea was never about sexual misconduct or sexual relations with any person, let alone a minor,” Friedman told NBC News, adding that Bell's guilty plea and sentencing "reflect conduct for which Mr. Bell did accept responsibility."
At his sentencing hearing, Bell explained his decision to take the plea deal.
"Today I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong. I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way — that was obviously not my intention," Bell said at the time. "I have taken this matter very, very seriously, and again I just want to apologize to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions."
Amid his legal troubles in 2021, Bell announced in a tweet that he had been married for "almost three years" and that he has a son with his wife, Janet Von Schmeling. It is not clear if the two are still together, though People reported in January 2023 they had called it quits.