Ex-Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has filed for divorce from his estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling – three years after the couple split up.
Drake Bell has filed for divorce from his wife Janet Von Schmeling – three years after they split.
The 39-year-old star is said to have filed a petition to end the marriage in Florida on Thursday (14.08.25).
The development comes after Von Schmeling had filed for divorce in Los Angeles back in April 2023, with the date of separation revealed as September 2022.
Court documents at the time stated that the actress was seeking legal and physical custody of the couple’s four-year-old son Wyatt, while asking for Bell to be granted visitation rights.
Janet has since started a relationship with Jim Perez and the couple are expecting their first child together.
Drake has suggested that he and his estranged wife now have a strong co-parenting relationship and spoke of the love they have for each other recently.
The Drake and Josh star told The Unplanned Podcast with Matt and Abby: “I don’t care if I’m angry at my ex-wife. All my son knows that me and his mom love each other.
“We’re not together, but we love each other. We respect each other and we love him unconditionally. And whenever he’s with me, ‘His mama loves him, mama’s amazing.'”
Bell explained that didn’t always have a strong relationship with his parents and was desperate to be the best father possible to his son.
He said: “We love our parents, but my God, did they teach us how and what not to do as a parent.
“I hope that I’m able to recognise certain behaviours and certain things that – I’ll just take one thing for example. I feel like my generation or my parents’ generation, divorce was rampant, and the kids were used a lot in divorce.”
The former Nickelodeon star described how he believed that his parents – who divorced when he was five years of age – talking badly of each other was a reflection of himself.
Drake said: “Basically, you guys are just telling me that I suck because, if he’s got no good qualities and you got no good qualities and you guys hate each other, then what do you dig me for?
“I’m literally what you guys hate, you know? And that’s being instilled in my brain and creates tension. It’s like, ‘That’s my mom. Stop talking about my mom that way.'”
Drake Bell files for divorce from Janet Von Schmeling
