Drake Bell‘s ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt, who goes by Jimi Ono, is speaking out against the star. In a TikTok video, she accused the 34-year-old of verbal and physical abuse.
The pair got together in 2006, when she was 16 and being homeschooled. She said that she moved in with him, and that a year in, he started verbally abusing her. “It then turned to physical — hitting, throwing, everything,” she said, accusing Bell of dragging her down stairs in their home at one point during their relationship, which ended in 2009.
BELL RESPONDS
Bell told People that he “never abused my ex-girlfriend or did so many of the other things Melissa falsely claimed on her TikTok video.”
“Clearly, Melissa still felt close enough to me just last year that she was comfortable reaching out to ask me to provide her with financial support during a tough time (which I did),” he says, adding that he plans to consider “legal options” in light of the accusations.
“I do not know if today’s behavior is some kind of misguided quest for more money or attention,” Bell says. “But I cannot and will not allow these offensive and defamatory allegations to go unchallenged and I am reviewing my legal options.”
OTHER WOMEN SPEAK OUT
But other women are coming forward as well on social media. When said that he slept with her when she was 15 and he was 20. Lingafelt also shared a DM convo between herself and Bell’s ex Paydi Layne LoPachin.
LoPachin reaches out to Lingafelt to say, “I will stand by your side and back you up as I went through the same horrific verbal, physical, and mental abuse.” She writes that she was “manipulated and brainwashed,” and when Lingafelt replies, “He had sex with hundreds of underage girls,” LoPachin answers, “YES!!” LoPachin also writes, “There were so many days where I thought … Melissa went through this and she got out!!” and “he called me a c**t and LOVED to call me a whore.”
Another ex, Gillian Leos, wrote: “I know this to be true from personal experience. We went to High School together & dated from 2001–2005/06 from the age of 16 to about 21 … Thank you for speaking out. I wish I had more receipts. I have some photos … unfortunately no voicemails or txt bc he broke every phone I had back then. Like you I have many friends & witnesses to attest what he put me through…” adding, “He is a narcissistic sociopath & I know there are more of us out there.”