Drake Bell files for divorce in Florida amid cross-state custody case

Drake Bell has filed for divorce from his wife, Janet Von Schmeling, in Seminole County, Florida, adding a new layer to a separation that began more than two years ago in California. The Florida petition follows Janet’s earlier divorce filing in Los Angeles in April 2023, when she cited irreconcilable differences and outlined a plan for custody and support of their four-year-old son, Wyatt. The two filings come as the former Nickelodeon star and his estranged wife navigate a cross-state custody process focused on their child’s best interests as they pursue a long-term coparenting arrangement.

The Los Angeles petition documented a separation in September 2022 and asked for primary legal and physical custody of Wyatt, along with visitation rights for Bell and spousal support. At that time, the case appeared stalled for months before a conference was ordered in 2024 to move the matter along. The Florida filing, reported to have been made in mid-August, signals that the couple will continue to address custody and support issues across state lines, potentially complicating and slowing the resolution of their divorce.

Wyatt,, now four years old, is at the center of the dispute. Both...