The actor, who rose to fame on the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh, was the subject of a video by ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt, who performs on the video-sharing app under the username Jimi Ono.
In the video shared on Wednesday (12 August), Lingafelt alleged that Bell had been verbally and physically towards her when they lived together more than a decade ago when she was 16 years old.
“It wasn’t until about a year when the verbal abuse started,” Lingafelt said. “And when I say verbal abuse, imagine the worst type of verbal abuse you could ever imagine, and that was what I got.
“It then turned into physical – hitting, throwing, everything. At the pinnacle of it, he [dragged] me down the stairs of our house… My face hit every step on the way down. I have photos of this.”
Lingafelt added that she didn’t “even want to get into the underage girls thing”, saying: “I mean, I will, but I’m scared.”
Responding to the video, a representative for Bell told Variety that the actor, 34, denied all allegations posed by Lingafelt and that he was reviewing his legal options.
“I never abused my ex-girlfriend or did so many of the other things Melissa falsely claimed on her TikTok video,” he said. “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 also claimed that he had provided Lingafelt with financial support during a “tough time” in the last year.
“I do not know if today’s behaviour is some kind of misguided quest for more money or attention. But I cannot and will not allow these offensive and defamatory allegations to go unchallenged,” he said.
In recent years, Bell has predominantly worked as a voice actor on a number of TV shows and video games, as well as releasing his fourth studio album The Lost Album in 2020.
Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via its website nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
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SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
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