Drake Bell Calls Out ‘Ned’s Declassified’ Stars for Joking About Nickelodeon Abuse Allegations
Drake Bell put Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee on blast for seemingly joking about the Nickelodeon docuseries Quiet on Set, which offered him a platform to speak out about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child star.
Investigation Discovery's four-part doc Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which aired on Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18, pulled back the curtain on the toxic work environment at Nickelodeon.
Bell, 37, specifically was the subject of two episodes, which covered his lawsuit against dialogue coach Brian Peck (who has no relation to Nickelodeon star Josh Peck). Peck, 63, was arrested in August 2003 after he was accused of sexually abusing a then-unnamed child, who has now been confirmed to be Bell. Peck pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a victim around 14 or 15 years old and to oral copulation with a child under 16 years old, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence.
Werkheiser, Shaw and Lee, who starred on Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified in the 2000s, posted a TikTok live video on Monday where they briefly joked about the Nickelodeon abuse allegations. They specifically pointed out that their set "was not like that."
‘Quiet on Set’ Recap: Drake Bell Details Being Sexually Abused by Nickelodeon’s Brian Peck
“Daniel, we told you never to speak about that. Get back in your hole, Daniel, and give me your holes,” Werkheiser, 33, said to Lee, 32, in a video reposted via X. “Sorry, we shouldn’t joke about this. We really shouldn’t. Our set was not like that. No, it’s f–king awful. The Drake Bell s–t, that’s crazy to hear. That is f–ked. And that never came out, which is really wild. Really wild.”
After a TikTok user called the trio out, Werkheiser and Shaw, 34, walked back the jokes. “I’m not talking about this anymore. Not talking about this anymore,” Werkheiser said while laughing. “Guys, we can’t joke like this, Jesus. Sometimes humor helps us move through things.”
Bell shared the video via X on Monday, writing, “Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up. ‘Give me your h*les!!’ Really?!”
In response to Bell's post, Werkheiser released a statement. “I was being an idiot today,” he wrote via X. “No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumbass was even speaking about this without seeing it. I watched Quiet on Set tonight and am horrified by the gravity of what Drake and others shared. Truly heartbroken over what my fellow actors went through. I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I’m sorry for compounding any hurt.”
In the docuseries, Bell broke his silence about being groomed by Peck and assaulted when he was 15. He referred to the abuse as "extensive" and "brutal" during an emotional point in the ID special.
"I really don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera. … Why don’t you think of the worst stuff someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault and that will answer your question,” he said. “I don’t know how else to put it. It was not a one-time thing."
‘Quiet on Set’ Docuseries Pulls Back the Curtain on Nickelodeon’s Past Toxic Work Environment
In addition to Bell sharing his experience, Quiet on Set also featured various interviews from past cast and crew about producer Dan Schneider’s infamous reign at the network.
Schneider, who is the founder and copresident of production company Schneider's Bakery, has helped create, write and produce hit shows including All That, Drake & Josh, iCarly, Sam & Cat, The Amanda Show, Victorious and Zoey 101. After being accused of inappropriate conduct during his time at Nickelodeon, Schneider parted ways with the network in 2018.
Schneider later denied the allegations against him, telling The New York Times in June 2021, “The comedy was totally innocent. I never interacted with actors in any way, texting or otherwise, that should make anyone uncomfortable.”
Ahead of the docuseries, Nickelodeon released a statement to Us Weekly, which read, “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. 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.”
A spokesperson for Schneider shared a response as well. “Dan cared about the kids on his shows even when sometimes their own families unfortunately did not. He understood what they were going through and he was their biggest champion," the statement noted. "The fact is many of the kids on these shows are put in the untenable position of becoming the breadwinner for their family and the pressure that comes along with that."
The statement continued: "Add on top of that the difficulties of growing up and having to do so under the spotlight while working a demanding job, all as a child. That is why there are many levels of standards, executives, lawyers, teachers and parents everywhere, all the time, on every set, every day. However, it is still a hard place to be a kid and nobody knew that better than Dan.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Werkheiser, Shaw and Lee for comment.
