Drake Bell is thankful for his Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck’s support.
After revealing on docuseries Quiet on Set that he was the previously unnamed minor who was sexually abused by actor and voice coach Brian Peck (no relation to Josh Peck), Bell spoke out on the podcast Not Skinny but Not Fat about how much Josh reaching out privately meant to him.
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“Josh worked on The Amanda Show, so he saw and knew what was going on,” said Bell on the April 2 episode. “I appreciate that he reached out to me privately and he didn’t go straight to the media, because he was there with me and saw what I was going through.”
Bell then clarified that he doesn’t know if Josh knew specifics about the situation, but knew Bell had been abused by Brian and how “sensitive” it was for him at the time. “Of course, watching the documentary, he learned so much of what I’d gone through that I think he was just so sensitive and made sure to reach out to me privately,” said Bell.
After fans questioned why Josh hadn’t openly supported his TV brother on social media following Quiet on Set, Bell made a TikTok explaining that Josh had reached out privately.
“I just want to clear something up,” he said in the TikTok. “I’ve noticed a lot of comments on some of Josh’s TikToks and some of his posts and I just want to let you guys know that processing this and going through this is a really emotional time and a lot of it is very, very difficult.”
Bell continued, “So not everything is put out to the public, but I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive, but he has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this and has been really, really great. So I just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him.”
Peck has also since spoken out publicly, explaining, “I reached out to Drake privately, but wanted to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world.” He added that “children should be protected,” after watching the series about toxic working environments for child stars.
Speaking about working under Dan Schneider on both The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, Bell shared that his experience with the showrunner wasn’t how it was described by other Nickelodeon stars on the docuseries. “I can only speak to my experience and he was one of the few people that was really there for me during the time,” said the actor.
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Investigation Discovery is adding a fifth episode to the docuseries, premiering April 7. The special, titled Quiet on Set: Breaking the Silence, will be moderated by Soledad O’Brien and will delve deeper into the various claims of Nickelodeon creating a toxic workplace for the child stars and crew.
Bell is slated to return, alongside other network stars who appeared in the previous episodes, including Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne. All That alum Shane Lyons will also make his first appearance on the documentary.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
