Quiet on Set: Drake Bell’s accuser speaks out after online attack

Following the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Drake Bell’s ex-girlfriend and accuser has clapped back after facing aggression online. 

Melissa Lingafelt, who goes by the stage name Jimi Ono, dated the Drake & Josh actor when she was 16 and he was 20. In 2020, she shared a now-deleted TikTok video accusing him of emotionally and physically abusing her during their relationship. 

The music artist also alleged that Bell harassed underage girls. Bell denied the claims, but Lingafelt further commented on the situation when he was arrested in a separate case in 2021 and sentenced to two years probation for charges related to child endangerment. 

In Quiet on Set, Investigation Discovery’s true crime saga that lifts the curtain on Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon empire, Bell identifies himself as the victim in the 2004 child abuse case against his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck. 

Amid an outpouring of support for Bell, his accusers — both Lingafelt and the unnamed woman at the center of his 2021 trial — have had to deal with online harassment and accusations of lying. 

Lingafelt has since clapped back, sharing a statement on her Instagram Stories alongside a screenshot of just one of the numerous hateful messages she’s received since the release of Quiet on Set. 

The message, from a woman named Cassie Deeanne, states: “I know you’re still active. I remember your post from 2020 about Drake. You should be absolutely, utterly, and disgracefully disgusted with yourself.” 

The sender goes on to call her “disgusting” and a “blond dumb bimbo,” suggesting that people will “rally” on Bell’s side. She finishes by accusing Lingafelt of being “one of Dan Schneider’s people.”

Alongside this screenshot, Lingafelt posted the following statement: “Sharing one’s personal experiences of abuse can be a complex and challenging process, and it can potentially help raise awareness about the prevalence of abuse and the need for support and healing. 

“However, it’s crucial to remember that speaking out about one’s own experiences does not automatically absolve someone of the responsibility for their harmful behavior towards others.”

Although the Instagram Story is no longer available, it’s been shared on Reddit, where many have agreed with the artist’s perspective. “People watch the documentary and (rightfully) feel sadness, empathy and anger about the story that Drake Bell is telling in it,” said one. 

“But some of those people think life is a movie with one singular plot thread, so since he’s a victim in this one story and they feel for him, he can do no wrong anywhere. So simple minded. Life isn’t just one story, and for some people not all the stories are positive reflections.”

“Like pretty much always, two things can be true at once,” said another, while a third added, “While I believe what Drake said in the documentary and agree Peck is a monster, I still got bad vibes from Drake during it too. I don’t know how to explain it, maybe just because I knew his history.”

You can read more about the allegations against Bell here, and find out about the upcoming Episode 5 here. And for more true crime, here are all the documentaries hitting streaming this month.