How Drake Bell Really Feels About The Response To Quiet On Set
This article contains allegations of sexual assault and child abuse.
After the release of "Quiet on Set" — the Investigation Discovery docuseries about behind-the-scenes turmoil and abuse at Nickelodeon during its heyday — Drake Bell is speaking out about the overwhelmingly shocked and sympathetic responses he's received from viewers.
The former "Drake & Josh" and "The Amanda Show" star attended an Emmys FYC panel (meaning "for your consideration") for "Quiet on Set" on April 9, and he said he's incredibly heartened by the support he's received after revealing that he was the unnamed victim in a case against former Nickelodeon employee Brian Peck. "I'm still kind of reeling with the idea of this all being my soul, kind of being bared to the world," Bell said (via People Magazine). "But you see such good coming out of ... people are approaching me at the airport ... telling me how they have the bravery to come out and speak, and how they're trying to go to their legislatures and get things changed and seeing people online. So you're seeing a change."
Bell then said that his reveal in "Quiet on Set" was the first time he's talked about the abuse he endured by Peck to anyone other than close friends or family members, making his revelations even more stunning — and devastating.
Drake Bell is particularly disgusted by Brian Peck's post-prison career
Distressingly, Drake Bell also said at the panel that part of the reason he decided to come forward about Brian Peck's sexual abuse and assault was because he didn't see people talking about it — even though Peck went to prison for sexual crimes against children. (In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of "oral copulation with a minor under 16" as well as "lewd acts" with children who were 14 and 15 years old.) Bell said that Peck and another confirmed predator, production assistant Jason Handy, never faced the court of public opinion — in Bell's opinion.
Bell also noted that Peck simply kept working after his incarceration, which is true; Peck worked on "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" just one year after serving 16 months in jail and continued working in entertainment, even around children.
Not only that, but Bell says that he felt as if people in Hollywood completely overlooked Peck's horrific acts ... and chose to support him. "And then came back, got sentenced, and as soon as he got sentenced, he got a bunch of letters from people saying ... I would be more than happy to hire him to work around children," Bell continued. "And that I think was a catalyst for this for me."
After Quiet on Set, Drake Bell hopes Hollywood could change for the better
Still, Drake Bell said that he does have some fond memories of his years working on Nickelodeon shows, and that he's received support from people he worked with then. Josh Peck (no relation to Brian Peck), who starred alongside Bell on "Drake & Josh," apparently reached out to Bell privately after "Quiet on Set" aired and said on social media that he was devastated by Bell's reveal.
"I have dear friends that I worked with that I talk to today on a weekly basis ... that have supported me through the years, and I've just become great friends with," Bell said, then explaining that he doesn't re-watch episodes of "Drake & Josh" and hyper-focus on the intensely disturbing things that were occurring behind the scenes. "And so it's a bittersweet thing where I love to look back and watch episodes."
Ultimately, what Bell wants is to see things change regarding the safety of child actors. "I'm hoping that we see the shifts and the changes inside the industry that are needed," he said. "I would want to make sure that if that's the path that a young artist wants to take, that there's things in place that make it possible for things like what we've seen in the documentary and have shared with our stories to never happen again."
Drake Bell made truly shocking and saddening allegations during Quiet on Set
If you haven't watched "Quiet on Set" yet, be aware that it contains some truly gutting confessions from Drake Bell about the abuse he suffered at Brian Peck's hands. According to Bell, Peck met the young actor while they were both working on "The Amanda Show," and immediately began targeting him. Peck ultimately succeeded at driving a wedge between Bell and his father — who also appears in "Quiet on Set" — and often invited Bell to his home for "acting lessons." As Bell said in the docuseries, he felt as if there was nobody there to help him.
"I was just trapped," Bell says during his interview. "I had no way out." The interviewer asks Bell to detail some of the abuses perpetrated by Peck, to which Bell offers a stunning rebuke: "Why don't you think of the worst stuff someone can do to someone as sexual assault, and that will answer your question. I don't know how else to put it."
Bell's name was initially kept secret as Peck pleaded no contest and served 16 months in jail; now, thanks to this docuseries, he's able to tell his own story. "Quiet on Set," which released a fifth episode as a follow-up, is streaming on Max now.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).