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Drake Bell Named in Mexican Extortion Investigation

Prosecutors opened a preliminary evidence file after a complainant said Bell and his partner sought $10,000 and spread false romance and paternity claims to damage him.

Overview

  • Aitor García, a Spanish music businessman, filed a complaint that Mexico City's extortion prosecutor has recorded as a carpeta de investigación, which is a preliminary evidence-gathering file.
  • The complaint, first reported by TVyNovelas and picked up by Mexican outlets, alleges Bell and his partner Ela Vidal circulated claims that García had a romance with Vidal and was the father of her expected child.
  • García says those versions were false and that the alleged campaign was used to pressure him for $10,000, roughly 170,000 pesos, which he describes as an attempt at extortion.
  • The matter is at an early stage with authorities collecting testimony and documents and there have been no formal charges or court rulings reported against Bell or Vidal.
  • The report arrives against the backdrop of Bell's 2021 U.S. conviction and his relocation to Mexico, a context that helps explain why the complaint has drawn swift media attention and could have reputational and legal consequences if prosecutors pursue the case.