In August, Bell, via a statement obtained by Variety, denied allegations of abuse made by his ex-girlfriend Melissa Lingafelt in a series of TikTok videos. Lingafelt said that during her relationship with Bell, which ended 10 years ago, she was a victim of verbal abuse and physical abuse.
"I never abused my ex-girlfriend or did so many of the other things Melissa falsely claimed on her TikTok video," Bell said in the statement shared by his representative with Variety. "As our relationship ended — more than a decade ago — we, unfortunately, both called each other terrible names, as often happens when couples are breaking up. But that is it."
Bell's statement continued: "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). I do not know if today's behavior is some kind of misguided quest for more money or attention. But I cannot and will not allow these offensive and defamatory allegations to go unchallenged and I am reviewing my legal options."
As BuzzFeed reported, some Twitter users have speculated that perhaps his focus on Spanish-language music and last name change are ways of rebranding following the abuse allegations.