Celebrity drama is always so much more eventful than imagined. Pandemic breakups, dates, and other romance-related rumors are now more prominent than ever. Recently, the spotlight has been shone on Melissa Lingafelt — the ex-girlfriend of Drake Bell.
In a Tik Tok video, Lingafelt, with the username “Jimi Ono,” announced on Wednesday that the actor from Drake & Josh has abused her verbally and physically. She started the video by introducing the beginnings of her relationship with Bell, and then slowly moving on to talking about how she moved in with him. Lingafelt also noted that the abuse started later, and said that it was the “worst type of abuse [one] can ever imagine.”
Their tumultuous relationship began in 2006 when Melissa Lingafelt was only 16 years old. During her three years of romance with Bell, Lingafelt had to endure her boyfriend throwing objects and dragging her down the stairs. The abuse has led her to suffer multiple injuries. As of right now, Lingafelt hasn’t posted the pictures of her scars on social media yet. However, she did state that her friends have witnessed the abuse.
Following the release of the initial video, Lingafelt uploaded two more videos on Tik Tok — both about the situation with Bell and his abuse towards underaged girls. One girl, who asked to remain anonymous, has accused Bell of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old girl while he was 20.
After Drake Bell heard about Lingafelt’s experience, he denied the statements. Instead, Bell described the breakup as a time when “they called each other names, [just like how most couples do] when breaking up.” Additionally, he also stated that Melissa even offered him financial support last year. Despite the current allegations, Bell continuously rejected the validity of the claims and may be looking to take legal action.
Even though both parties already have stated their opinions, social media users are continuously voicing their thoughts on the dilemma. Some are saying that there is no evidence of a problem:
https://twitter.com/RyanWithDaHeat/status/1293870335327076353
However, others are reacting negatively to the situation. Some are agitated about Drake Bell’s actions, even stating that the actor should be ‘canceled’ due to his misbehavior.
And others argue that abuse can still occur without posted evidence.
Moreover, some people say that they preferred Josh in the show anyway.
Regardless of the validity of the situation, we should all be aware of the effects of physical and verbal abuse. If abuse ever occurs within a relationship, we need to say ‘STOP’ and stand for our own rights. Additionally, we must resonate with the survivors; victim-blaming and denying their experiences are not the correct solutions to help people heal. After all, both individuals must benefit from the relationship without exerting power or force.
What are your thoughts on the allegations against Drake Bell? Do you believe that Melissa Lingafelt should’ve acted on the situation differently? Or do you have a different perspective on the event altogether? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image via Creative Commons
