Drake Bell Reveals His Reaction When These TV Stars Offered Support for His Convicted Abuser
The upcoming Investigation Discovery docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, is shedding a light on how friends and co-stars can turn on someone who needs help the most. Drake Bell, best known for his work on Drake & Josh and All That, has come forward as the survivor of child sexual abuse by former Nickelodeon dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck.
The now-37-year-old actor details his side of the story in the third episode of the four-part series. He calls the abuse “extensive” and “pretty brutal” after he was isolated from his family and groomed by Peck at the age of 15, per Too Fab. Bell described it as “mental manipulation” and it got the point that he felt like he “had no way out.” He eventually shared the horrific story with his mother, who immediately got the police involved.
Peck was convicted in 2004 for committing a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16 in 2003. He spent 16 months in prison, but Bell faced the betrayal of many friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry during the grueling trial. Dozens of Peck’s Hollywood pals showed up to support him during the hearing and TMZ reported that there were 41 letters of support from some pretty famous faces.
Boy Meets World stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong already outed themselves and apologized in their Pod Meets World podcast, but they weren’t the only recognizable names on the media outlet’s list. Jury Duty star James Marsden, former SNL star Taran Killam, Growing Pains parents, the late Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns, Drake & Josh director Rich Correll, and stage manager Beth Correll were also a part of Peck’s supportive team. What’s shocking is that Peck was hired back on Nickelodeon for a brief time on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. How could so many people have failed the teen actor?
Bell shared his moment of bravery by addressing Peck at the hearing, even though it was unnecessary for him to do so. He recalled in the TV special, “I looked at all of them and I just said, ‘How dare you?’ I said, ‘You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes and that’s what I will remember.'”
Hollywood’s participation in victimizing sexual abuse survivors has been a hot topic of discussion lately as Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Giovanni Ribisi, and Billy Baldwin were revealed to have written letters of support for Danny Masterson after he was convicted of two rapes. “Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me,” Kunis wrote of her That ’70s Show castmate. “His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally.” Masterson was sentenced to 30 year in prison.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, get help. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE [4673]) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in need.
Before you go, click here to see celebrities who have opened up about surviving sexual assault.