Following Drake Bell’s recent charges, people are revisiting abuse allegations made by his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt in 2020.
Actor Drake Bell has been charged with “attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to children”, Sky News reports.
The former Nickelodeon star has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is scheduled to attend a pre-trial hearing in Ohio on June 23rd after being arrested in Cleveland.
Following the news, internet users are revisiting abuse allegations made about Drake Bell last year by his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt.
Who is she? And when did they date? Here’s everything you need to know about Drake Bell’s ex-girlfriend.
- OMG: Logan Paul shades Bryce Hall for ‘dating’ Josie Canseco
Who is Melissa Lingafelt?
Melissa Lingafelt, also known by her online name Jimi Ono is an American actress and model.
The 31-year-old is best known for dating actor Drake Bell, but she has also had a few acting credits herself including Drake Bell I know (2006), The Miss Teen USA Pageant (2006) and College (2008).
In 2006, she competed against 50 other girls for the title of Miss Teen USA 2006 in Palm Springs, California and finished as first runner-up. At the same pageant, she was also voted Miss Photogenic and in the same year, she also became Miss Teen North Carolina.
When did Drake and Melissa date?
Drake Bell and Melissa Lingafelt dated for around two years from 2007 to 2009.
Specific details surrounding their relationship are unclear, but Melissa was only 16-years-old at the time.
- TWITTER: ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant’s funny facial expressions go viral
Drake Bell denies Melissa’s abuse allegations
In September 2020, Melissa came out and accused Drake Bell of allegedly abusing her.
She posted a series of TikTok videos under her stage name Jimi Ono in which she alleged that he verbally an physically abused her. However, Drake denied the claims.
In a statement to PEOPLE, he said: “Never abused my ex-girlfriend or did so many of the other things Melissa falsely claimed on her TikTok video.”
“As our relationship ended more than a decade ago we, unfortunately, both called each other terrible names, as often happens when couples are breaking up. But that is it,” he continued.
In other news, Dry Scooping meaning revealed: How a dangerous TikTok challenge left one user in hospital