According to Deadline, after former Drake & Josh star Drake Bell (Superhero Movie, Yours, Mine & Ours) disclosed details of his alleged childhood sexual assault and abuse at the hands of dialogue coach Brian Peck, Nickelodeon is reportedly speaking out in response. On March 17th and 18th, Investigation Discovery will air Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a four-part documentary series, over two nights. In the third episode, Bell describes the alleged abuse.
Deadline reports Peck was taken into custody in 2003 on eleven counts, which included oral copulation with a controlled substance or anesthesia, lewd act upon a child aged 14 or 15, and sodomy. The identity of the minor involved was never disclosed. Bell now confesses that he was the minor in the docuseries. The alleged abuse happened between 1999 and 2002, when Bell was a cast member of The Amanda Show.
Peck entered a plea of not guilty in 2004 to accusations of performing a lewd act on a 14- or 15-year-old and oral copulation with a minor under the age of 16. In addition to serving 16 months in jail, he had to register as a sexual offender.
According to Deadline, Nickelodeon has released a statement in reaction to Bell’s alleged abuse: “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
For Bell and the other Nickelodeon kids, Deadline reports spending time at Peck’s house was nothing out of the ordinary. According to Kyle Sullivan, who has appeared on All That and The Amanda Show: “All the parents loved him too. Everyone trusted Brian”.
Bell claimed that although he thought of Peck—who would go on to become his manager—as a friend, one morning at Peck’s house everything changed.
In the documentary Bell states: “I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me, I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation”.
At fifteen, the actor was at a loss for what to do. It “became this secret,” he claimed, because if he stopped visiting Peck’s house, people would start asking questions. Bell said that Peck was “so apologetic” and that he made a vow that it would not occur again.
Bell remarked: “He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house and it just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out, The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really… Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.”
Nickelodeon also issued a statement about claimed actions from previous production sets, according to Deadline.
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct, the statement read. “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Deadline reports that Bell claims in the documentary series that until Bell confided in Schneider and Schneider offered to help in any way he could, Schneider was unaware of the alleged abuse Bell had been subjected to at the hands of Peck.