Unfortunately, Bell has faced some personal struggles over the years, like many other former child stars. He reportedly entered outpatient treatment for substance abuse in January and had been separated from his wife, Janet Von Schmeling, since then. Bell has also had previous encounters with law enforcement, having been arrested twice for DUIs. A former girlfriend, Melisa Lingafelt, accused him of verbally and physically abusing her, but Bell denied these allegations.
In June 2021, Bell was charged with attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles after he “developed a relationship” online with a teenager and sent her “inappropriate social media messages.” In July 2021, he avoided prison when he was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Bell maintained that he was unaware of the girl’s age and that there had been no sexual contact between them. He later addressed the situation on social media and thanked his fans for their support.
