Drake Bell spoke out about being sexually assaulted by Nickelodeon’s Brian Peck for the primary time within the new docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Darkish Facet of Children TV.
In the course of the third a part of the Investigation Discovery particular, which is able to air on Monday, March 18, Bell, 37, recognized himself because the little one star who reported Peck, 63, to the authorities within the early 2000s. Peck (who has no relation to Bell’s former Nickelodeon costar Josh Peck) was arrested in August 2003 after he was accused of sexually abusing a then-unnamed little one. Peck pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a sufferer round 14 or 15 years previous and to oral copulation with a toddler below 16 years previous, which resulted in a 16-month jail sentence.
“My identify is Drake Bell and I got here right here right this moment to inform my story,” Bell started. “I’ve by no means advised my story publicly.”
Bell began appearing when he was 5 years previous, together with his father as his supervisor on the time. After small appearances on exhibits corresponding to House Enchancment and Seinfeld, Bell scored a number of commercials and appeared alongside Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Bell’s star started to rise when he joined The Amanda Present, Amanda Bynes’ spinoff of All That, in 1999.
Peck, in the meantime, was a crew member who labored in entrance of and behind the digital camera on dozens of Hollywood productions. Within the late 90s and early 2000s, Peck was employed on a number of of Dan Schneider’s initiatives at Nickelodeon, together with The Amanda Present.
Bell, who was joined by his father, Joe Bell, within the doc, claimed he was groomed by Peck and assaulted by him when he was 15.
“All the things modified with Brian one morning. I knew that my life was going to be completely fully completely different from that time on,” he recalled. “It simply turned this secret that I had held onto.”
Drake referred to the abuse as “in depth” and “brutal” throughout an emotional level within the docuseries. “I actually don’t know the right way to elaborate on that on digital camera. … Why don’t you consider the worst stuff somebody can do to someone as a sexual assault and that may reply your query,” he mentioned.” I don’t know the way else to place it. It was not a one-time factor.”
After Peck’s arrest, Drake famous that the dialogue coach acquired an outpouring of help from pals within the leisure trade, a few of whom appeared at Peck’s sentencing. The docuseries went on to share unsealed letters from Peck’s then-pals, together with James Marsden and Alan Thicke, that requested the decide give him probation.
As famous above, Peck served time behind bars, however that didn’t halt his profession in Hollywood. In keeping with his IMDB, Peck continued to work on many TV exhibits and flicks till 2018. Drake, for his half, struggled together with his profession and alcohol and substance abuse.
“I didn’t know the right way to course of it and I believe that led to loads of self destruction and loads of self loathing,” Drake mentioned. “All of those demons that I had have been very tough to work by means of. So I believe loads of my self damaging habits was a short lived repair and it might at all times creep again up.”
Drake has since been engaged on bettering himself by means of trauma and grief remedy. Hold scrolling for a breakdown of his candid look on the Quiet on Set: The Darkish Facet of Children TV docuseries:
Quiet on Set: The Darkish Facet of Children TV airs on ID Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18, at 9 p.m. ET.
Changing into a Little one Star
Drake met Peck shortly after he was supplied a foremost function on the Nickelodeon sketch sequence, which was a by-product of All That.
“Once we moved over to Nick on Sundown [set] from Paramount Studios, Brian Peck got here in through the second season. Brian was a dialogue coach on The Amanda Present,” Drake shared. “He acquired together with everybody and everybody acquired together with him. He had been working within the trade for a really very long time.”
Peck got here as a advice from different dad and mom, so Joe initially didn’t have any considerations.
“Sadly I began seeing that Brian was simply hanging round Drake an excessive amount of. It didn’t sit properly with me,” Joe famous. “Drake can be within the dressing room and in would pop Brian. He would simply contact Drake or do issues the place I [would think], ‘Wait a second. Drake can put that on himself.’ And the factor is, that is in entrance of individuals.”
Joe knowledgeable manufacturing about his worries and claimed he was “ostracized” in consequence after being accused of being homophobic since Peck identifies as homosexual. Drake famous within the doc that he grew near Peck due to their related pursuits, explaining, “Which wanting again, I believe that was most likely a bit calculated.”
Drake added: “I didn’t assume something of something that was occurring. In hindsight, I ought to have been in a position to see however as a child however you haven’t any clue. However my dad noticed it a mile away.”
How Brian Built-in Himself Into Drake’s Life
Peck had built-in himself “fairly closely” into Drake’s life when Drake & Josh was being developed within the early 2000s and began to trigger a rift between him and his dad.
“The state of affairs with Brian had been build up and my dad began making it very tough for Brian to be round me,” Drake detailed. “He began to actually drive a wedge between my dad and me. He advised me that my dad was stealing cash and no person likes that my dad is on set.”
Joe began crying whereas discussing his resolution on the time to be much less concerned in Drake’s life.
“At the moment, I mentioned, ‘I would like what my son needs. It’s killing me and it’s hurting me. It’s breaking my coronary heart however I need to do what Drake needs,’” Joe mentioned by means of tears. “I broke down and cried. I knew that was going to sever my relationship with my son and that I wouldn’t be seeing him.”
Joe warned Drake’s mom to “by no means ever” go away Drake alone with Peck. Nevertheless, Peck was in a position to persuade Drake’s mom to let him drive Drake to auditions, which become Drake sleeping over at Brian’s home on many events.
“Brian would decide me up for auditions and I might find yourself staying the evening as a result of I lived in Orange County and it might be simpler to drive me residence the subsequent day as an alternative of getting me residence at midnight. It was no matter excuse Brian got here up with,” Drake recalled. “And that’s the manner it occurred for fairly some time. He had just about labored his manner into each side of my life.”
The Sexual Assault
“All the things modified with Brian one morning. I knew that my life was going to be completely fully completely different from that time on,” Drake mentioned. “I used to be sleeping on the sofa the place I might often sleep and I woke as much as him sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in full shock. I had no concept what to do or the right way to react. I don’t know the right way to get out of the state of affairs.”
Drake recalled Peck being “so apologetic” however persevering with the abuse for months.
“It simply acquired worse and worse and worse. I used to be simply trapped. I had no manner out,” he defined. “I keep in mind the entire abusive occasions. However all the things exterior of that may be very blurry to me which is a bummer as a result of I skilled loads of nice issues in my life and my profession throughout all this time. Nevertheless it was overshadowed and ruined by what I used to be coping with on the within. It made it actually exhausting for me.”
How Others Began to Query Brian’s Intentions
Drake later turned to a girlfriend and hung out at her residence as a result of he felt “so secure” there. He mentioned his girlfriend’s mom caught on to “what was occurring” after an incident when Peck known as the house continuous to talk with Drake. When his girlfriend’s mom requested Drake in regards to the state of affairs earlier than taking him to remedy, he selected to not disclose what was occurring.
“I used to be simply so scared to say something. I didn’t know the right way to clarify, I nonetheless don’t. I’ve by no means talked about this exterior of remedy,” Drake advised the cameras about Brian’s “psychological manipulation” that prompted him to stay silent.
When Drake Determined to Converse Out
“Someday, I used to be on the telephone with my mother and I simply exploded. I don’t know what provoked it however I simply screamed into the telephone all the things that had been occurring to me,” he recalled. “My mother instantly known as the police. The investigation was fairly brutal. I needed to be excruciatingly detailed about each single factor and time it had occurred with two absolute strangers.”
In keeping with Drake, the authorities requested for him to get a confession from Peck by means of a wired name.
“I known as and he answered. So I mentioned, ‘I’m actually scuffling with these things now. I’m so torn up and so damaged and emotionally distressed. Why did this occur?’” Drake famous. “He simply began a full on confession.”
Drake revealed he suffered from main hair loss whereas coping with the emotional stress. After working with the police, Peck was arrested in 2003 for “doing actually, actually horrendous issues” to Drake.
Receiving Assist From Dan Schneider
One other main topic of the docuseries was Schneider’s time at Nickelodeon. Schneider, 58, who’s the founder and copresident of manufacturing firm Schneider’s Bakery, helped create, write and produce hit exhibits together with All That, Drake & Josh, iCarly, Sam & Cat, The Amanda Present, Victorious and Zoey 101. His initiatives helped launch the careers of Ariana Grande, Miranda Cosgrove, Amanda Bynes, Drake, Josh, Jamie Lynn Spears and extra.
After being accused of inappropriate conduct throughout his time at Nickelodeon, Schneider parted methods with the community in 2018. Schneider later denied the allegations towards him.
Drake, for his half, mentioned Schneider was a help system for him, including, “After Brian was arrested, Dan known as and requested me, ‘Does this have something to do with you?’ I used to be shut sufficient with Dan that [I told him]. Dan simply mentioned, ‘You don’t want to speak any extra about it. That’s all I wanted to listen to. Are you OK? Is there something you want from me?’”
Since Drake was a minor on the time, his identify was not launched publicly in connection to Peck’s arrest. In response to a query about whether or not anybody at Nickelodeon reached out after Peck’s arrest, Drake maintained that he wasn’t certain how many individuals even knew he was concerned within the case.
“The one individual I keep in mind being there for me is Dan,” Drake added.
The Sentencing
In the course of the docuseries, Drake recalled how Peck’s facet of the courtroom was filled with help on the day he was to be sentenced. Drake famous that there have been a number of acquainted faces, which stunned him due to the fees towards Peck.
“I addressed my assertion to everybody within the room,” Drake detailed. “I checked out all of them and I simply mentioned, ‘How dare you. You’ll without end have the reminiscence of sitting on this courtroom and defending this individual. And I’ll without end have the reminiscence of the individual you might be defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes. And that’s what I’ll keep in mind.’”
(Earlier than the docuseries was launched, Boy Meets World alums Rider Sturdy and Will Friedle addressed their sophisticated previous friendship with Peck. The duo used a February episode of “Pod Meets World” podcast to specific remorse for the general public help they confirmed Peck, which included attending his sentencing.)
Drake’s Personal Struggles
Whereas talking with the administrators of the docuseries, Drake addressed his personal a number of authorized points, which occurred after the abuse.
Drake pleaded responsible after he was arrested for driving below the affect in 2015. He was additionally charged and pleaded responsible to 2 felony counts of tried little one endangerment expenses in 2021. Two years later, Drake was reported lacking by the Daytona Seashore Police Division however was discovered shortly after the information made headlines.
“There was positively a sluggish decline in my psychological well being and sobriety. DUIs, behaviors that have been occurring as a result of I used to be misplaced,” Drake defined. “I took duty for that. I did what was requested of me. … I went by means of this chapter and misplaced my home. It was completely devastating.”
He continued: “I began to spin uncontrolled. If I had continued down that path, that might very probably be the top of my story.”
Drake, who has since reconciled together with his father, credited therapy for serving to him cope, saying, “I used to be at all-time low and so I checked into therapy. I acquired to undergo loads of trauma remedy, loads of grief remedy and be surrounded by individuals who for the primary time in a very long time needed to simply see me get higher.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Peck for remark.
Should you or somebody you already know has been sexually assaulted, contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).