Drake Bell Raises His Son to Embrace Authenticity and Redefine Masculinity

12 July 2025

Drake Bell, the former Nickelodeon star best known for Drake & Josh, recently shared insights into how he is guiding his four-year-old son Jeremy toward a healthy and unrestricted understanding of masculinity. On the “Tea Time with Raven & Miranda” podcast, Bell emphasized that masculinity isn’t a lesson to be taught but a journey to be discovered through living by values, politeness, kindness, and respect rather than conforming to rigid stereotypes.

He recalled an encounter in an elevator when Jeremy rushed ahead of two women trying to exit. Bell gently corrected him, explaining that allowing them to exit first was simply the polite thing to do. “It’s just manners,” he told the hosts, underscoring that courteous behavior transcends gender and forms the foundation of respectful human interaction.

Bell rejects the notion that traits such as affection, playfulness, and emotional expression are strictly feminine or masculine. He proudly describes his son as a “boy’s boy” who enjoys rugged play but also freely shows affection, lying down beside his mother, pausing a television show to give his father a kiss. Bell challenges the idea that such behaviors need policing. “This is just who I am,” he said, framing Jeremy’s identity as naturally multifaceted rather than divided between “masculine” and “feminine” roles.

Challenging societal pressures to box boys in, Bell supports Jeremy’s ability to express his emotions openly, including sadness and love. He attributes his philosophy to his own creative background. “Maybe it’s the artist in me,” he said, explaining his desire for his son to feel empowered to cry and to express love without shame. He criticized labels that stifle authenticity and urged parents to encourage children to be whole rather than perform roles.

Beyond this podcast conversation, Bell has also reflected on co‑parenting his son with ex‑wife Janet von Schmeling in a way that fosters mutual respect. He revealed on The Unplanned Podcast that both parents remind Jeremy that they love each other and honor each other’s role in his life, making a conscious effort to shield him from any conflict or negativity. Bell explained that when children hear parents speaking poorly about each other, “then what do you dig me for?” Recognizing that Jeremy is a reflection of both parents, he believes that respect and harmony between adults is crucial to grounding a child’s emotional development.

Since his son’s birth in 2021 and separating from von Schmeling in 2022, Bell’s focus has remained on emotional integrity for both discipline and demonstration of love. He aims to lead by example in co‑parenting, praising his ex over disputes, and always reminding Jeremy that both parents love him unconditionally.

For Bell, parenting today means rejecting outdated ideas about how boys should behave and instead nurturing a child’s authentic self. He entreats society to resist shrinking children into boxes, citing how labels can stifle confidence and creativity. Whether Jeremy is climbing jungle gyms or offering spontaneous gestures of warmth, Bell believes that journey, discovering oneself through everyday acts and genuine emotions is at the heart of healthy childhood development.

Ultimately, Drake Bell envisions a masculinity that is broad, flexible, and emotional. By instilling values, respecting individuality, and modeling respectful relationships, he hopes to raise a son who is polite, playful, vulnerable, and secure. In doing so, Bell not only nurtures Jeremy’s emotional well‑being but also offers a blueprint for modern parenting, reminding us that authenticity triumphs over conformity and that true strength lies in honesty and empathy.