Drake Bell drops truth bombs on brutal media treatment and life after fame

Drake Bell has opened up about the harsh realities of growing up in the spotlight.

Speaking to PEOPLE, the 38-year-old actor and musician shed light on intense media scrutiny and how paparazzi “highlighting all of your missteps” made his teenage years in Hollywood challenging.

He said, “When you're an adult, of course, it still has [an] effect, but when you're this adolescent trying to figure out life and all of a sudden you're like, ‘Why every time?’”

Bell went on to note that even when he did not "make a mistake" in public in the 2000s, the media still tried to make it look like he did.

“You're walking with your friends and you trip outside of the Chateau Marmont on your way to the taco shop, and all of a sudden the next day it's like, ‘Drake Bell stumbles drunk out of the Chateau Marmont,’” the Nickelodeon alum recalled.

“You're like, ‘There was a crack! I tripped on the sidewalk!' It's always just that highlighting of all of your missteps,” he remarked.

Despite stepping into the entertainment world during the peak tabloid era, Bell stated that he prefers that over today's strong social media pressure.

“I'm thankful that Josh and I missed the social media era while we were working,” the Splash actor added, referring to his former Drake & Josh costar Josh Peck.

Expanding on this, he mentioned, “We didn't have to compare, ‘Why did Josh have more followers than I do on Instagram? Oh, Josh got more likes on his picture than I did that I posted. What do I have to do?’ I'm just so glad that we didn't have to live through that.”

Notably, Bell, who has been travelling the world for his new album Non-Stop Flight, has not stopped acting.

The star of A Mouse Tale shared that he is working on a "fun romantic comedy" in Mexico, where he has many supporters.

He quipped, “I'm in Mexico a lot. I recorded half my record there. I do a lot of work there, but I feel like I don't have a permanent place right now just because I'm traveling so much. It's literally spend two days in my apartment and then every other day is in a hotel, on a plane, in a car. I'm not sure where I live right now!”

Before concluding, it is pertinent to mention that Drake Bell now sees Mexico as his home because his music became popular there after Drake & Josh ended.