Josh Peck Speaks Out on Nickelodeon Abuse Allegations, Confirms Private Talk With Drake Bell: ‘Children Should Be Protected’
Josh Peck has shared a statement on the abuse allegations made by Drake Bell in the documentary series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.”
Josh Peck and Bell starred in the Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh” from 2004 to 2007. In “Quiet on Set,” Bell alleged he was sexually assaulted by dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck (no relation to Josh), who worked on “All That” and “The Amanda Show” in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
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Josh Peck wrote on Instagram: “I finished the ‘Quiet On Set’ documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want 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. Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry.”
After Josh Peck received a wave of comments over his silence on Bell’s abuse, Bell took to social media to defend his “Drake & Josh” co-star.
“I just want to clear something up. I’ve noticed a lot of comments on some of Josh’s TikToks and some of his posts,” Bell said in a video posted to TikTok. “I just want to let you guys know that this is really … processing this and going through this is a really emotional time, and a lot of it is very, very difficult. So not everything is put out to the public.”
Bell continued, “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 just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him.”
In 2003, Brian Peck, 43 at the time, was arrested on 11 charges — including sodomy, lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 by a person 10 years older, and oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance — but the victim was not named until now when Bell stepped forward. “Quiet on Set” also revealed allegations of emotional abuse and sexualization of child actors against Nickelodeon executive and “Drake & Josh” creator Dan Schneider, which he addressed in a video released after the documentary premiered.
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult,” Schneider said. “Facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
Nancy Sullivan, who played the mother of Bell’s character on “Drake & Josh,” also voiced support for her co-star, writing on Instagram: “They weren’t my real kids, but I’ll always love them. It broke my heart into a million pieces to hear just how much Drake was holding inside while we were working together. I was both devastated and proud seeing the man he’s grown into sit down on camera and bravely tell his truth. Past abuse doesn’t define us, and it has no right to rule our lives, I know that putting this burden down will free him in so many ways. I hope memories of the joy he had on our shows will someday greatly overshadow the pain. Sending love to Drake for a deep healing and for a rich and beautiful life ahead.”
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