Ever wonder what Drake from Drake and Josh is up to? Well, the answer is quite unfortunate! The AP reports that on Wednesday afternoon, the former teen star pleaded guilty to “felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.” The charges are in relation to a young girl Bell met in Cleveland in 2017 who was 15 at the time and was attending one of his concerts.
When charges were initially brought against Bell in early June, he entered a plea of not guilty. His lawyer now says the reasoning behind changing the plea will be made clear by Bell himself at his sentencing hearing which is set to take place next month in Cleveland.
According to a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Bell established an online relationship with the girl “several years prior” to the concert in which they actually met. Throughout this time, Bell allegedly sent the girl inappropriate messages although the content of those messages was not made public. The girl on the receiving end of those messages is now an adult and will possibly deliver a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing. Bell is potentially facing two years in prison, or if he is given a lenient sentence, probation.
Older millennials might remember Bell from his Nickelodeon days where he starred in The Amanda Show and Drake and Josh. Ironically, Bell’s co-star on the latter series, Miranda Cosgrove, has also been in the news lately for starring in the reboot of iCarly and not for endangering any children. Bell’s “brotha,” Josh Peck, has not commented on the situation although the two had a very weird falling out two years ago when Peck did not invite Bell to his wedding. Perhaps it’s best the two never tried to rekindle their bromance.