Drake Bell Details Emotional Rollercoaster 6 Months After Quiet on Set

"I've ne'er talked astir this extracurricular of therapy," Drake Bell said successful the ID series, sharing for the archetypal clip that helium was sexually abused by Brian Peck.

The bid describes the grade of the maltreatment utilizing graphics from the official charges against Peck—a dialog and acting manager who besides appeared successful spot roles specified arsenic "Pickle Guy" on All That—because the Drake & Josh actor preferred to not spell into item connected camera. 

"The maltreatment was extended and it got beauteous brutal," Bell said. Advised by a shaper (who's heard but not seen) to lone stock immoderate helium was comfy with, helium replied, "Why don't you deliberation of the worst worldly idiosyncratic tin bash to idiosyncratic arsenic a intersexual battle and that'll reply your question. I don't cognize however other to enactment it."

Peck, present 63, was arrested successful August 2003 and yet sentenced successful October 2004 to 16 months successful situation aft pleading nary contention to a number apiece of lewd enactment upon a kid 14 oregon 15 by a idiosyncratic 10 years older and oral copulation of a idiosyncratic nether 16, according to sentencing documents reviewed by E! News. He was besides required to registry arsenic a enactment offender.

E! News reached retired to Peck for remark but did not perceive back. Nickelodeon told NBC News successful a statement, "Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his individuality arsenic the plaintiff successful the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to larn of the trauma helium has endured, and we commend and enactment the spot required to travel forward."

Bell described Peck purposely driving a wedge betwixt him and his manager begetter Joe Bell (who also appears successful the ID bid and backs up his son's account) truthful that helium could walk much clip with the teen, who had a recurring relation on The Amanda Show before helium was offered his ain sitcom, Drake & Josh, successful 2004.

Peck would instrumentality him to auditions, Bell said, and then have him slumber over, saying it was excessively precocious to thrust him backmost home. One night, Bell described, helium woke up connected the sofa (where helium said helium ever slept) and Peck was sexually assaulting him.

"I froze and was successful implicit daze and had nary thought what to bash oregon however to react," Bell said, "and I had nary thought however to get retired of the situation."

He recalled Peck being apologetic, but the maltreatment didn't stop—and Bell said helium didn't archer anyone, not adjacent erstwhile the ma of his then-girlfriend realized something was incorrect and took him to a therapist. He admittedly believed that if helium said anything, his vocation would beryllium over. 

Eventually, helium said helium "exploded" and told his parent everything, and she instantly called police. Bell said that detectives made him springiness an "excruciatingly detailed" relationship of the maltreatment and past had him telephone Peck to punctual a confession implicit the telephone portion they listened in. Peck "just started a full-on confession," Bell said, and was subsequently arrested connected Aug. 20, 2003.

Bell besides said successful Quiet connected Set that Dan Schneider, creator and enforcement shaper of The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, was speedy to inquire him if helium needed thing and otherwise had his back after Peck was arrested.

Otherwise, helium didn't perceive overmuch from anybody helium worked with, either due to the fact that they didn't cognize oregon "maybe due to the fact that it's a truly delicate subject," Bell reflected. "Really the lone idiosyncratic that I retrieve being determination for maine was Dan. Unfortunately, determination was nary therapy and I was near to my ain devices...which astatine that property astir apt isn't the champion thing."

The records successful Bell's lawsuit were sealed for years. But once they were unsealed, funny parties could spot who wrote the 41 letters of enactment filed on Peck's behalf earlier his 2004 sentencing.

No 1 from Nickelodeon, including Schneider, wrote a letter, according to Business Insider writer Kate Taylor—whose 2022 investigative piece detailing allegations of misconduct against Schneider inspired the ID series. ("We wrote Kate a spot of a emotion letter," bid co-director Mary Robertson told Vanity Fair, "and past said that we would emotion to spouse and grow upon her already unthinkable reporting.")

Among those who did constitute letters: James Marsden, Saturday Night Live player Taran Killam, Boy Meets World actors Will Friedle and Rider Strong, and Growing Pains parents Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns.

Marsden wrote, arsenic his missive was quoted successful the series, that he'd known Peck (who had spot parts successful 2000's X-Men and 2003's X2) for 14 years and "what Brian has been done successful the past twelvemonth is the suffering of a 100 men." Killam, who appeared on The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, wrote of Peck, per the series, "I cognize for a information that helium regrets immoderate mistakes made."

Thicke died successful 2016. E! News has reached retired to reps for Marsden, Killam, Friedle, Strong and Kerns for remark but has not heard back.

But, arsenic Taylor noted successful the ID series, it was wholly imaginable that nary of the actors knew the grade of the charges against Peck erstwhile they wrote the letters.

Kerns said successful a connection included in Quiet connected Set that she had since learned that her missive was based connected "complete misinformation. Knowing what I cognize now, I ne'er would person written the letter."

Strong and Friedle recently expressed regret for lasting by Peck, who appeared connected a mates of episodes of Boy Meets World successful 1999. They said connected a February occurrence of Pod Meets World, which they cohost with Danielle Fishel, that they didn't cognize the existent communicative astatine the time.

"He didn't accidental that thing had happened," Strong said. "So, by the clip we heard astir this lawsuit and knew thing astir it, it was ever successful the discourse of, 'I did this thing, I americium guilty. I americium going to instrumentality immoderate punishment the authorities determines, but I'm a unfortunate of jailbait. There was this blistery guy. I conscionable did this thing, and he's underage.' And we bought that storyline."

Added Friedle, "We're sitting successful that courtroom connected the incorrect broadside of everything. The victim's parent turned and said, 'Look astatine each the celebrated radical you brought with you. And it doesn't alteration what you did to my kid.' I conscionable sat determination wanting to die. It was like, 'What the hellhole americium I doing here?' It was horrifying each the mode around."

On occurrence 5, "Breaking the Silence," Bell said helium appreciates Friedle and Strong's perspective, but it didn't astatine each alteration however helium felt astir the time helium went to tribunal for Brian Peck's sentencing successful 2004 and saw his abuser's broadside of the country afloat of supporters.

Not 1 idiosyncratic who wrote a enactment missive for Peck had reached retired to him, Bell said, including the Boy Meets World stars.

Friedle voiced Deadpool connected a fewer episodes of the animated Ultimate Spider-Man, starring Bell arsenic Peter Parker, successful 2013 and 2016, and they didn't speech astir it, the histrion said.

But, Bell added, "It's a precise hard taxable to bring up, particularly successful a enactment environment. And that's the happening that's hard astir this, due to the fact that everybody deals with their trauma successful antithetic ways. Everybody comes to antithetic conclusions astatine antithetic times successful their lives… I truly admit their position now, but that time is truthful ingrained successful my mind."

E! News has reached retired to Friedle for comment.

In Quiet connected Set, All That alum Kyle Sullivan recalled everyone from the amusement going to Peck's location for a barbecue. The histrion and dialog coach—who besides worked on The Amanda Show and Amanda Bynes' consequent sitcom What I Like About You—had a country afloat of vintage toys and comic books, Sullivan said, and a store dedicated to Planet of the Apes memorabilia.

Sullivan recalled that Peck was giving him a tour when helium showed the teen a coating of a clown made by the precocious serial slayer John Wayne Gacy, who murdered astatine slightest 33 boys and young men, according to official accounts of his crimes, and was executed successful 1994. Peck besides had a stack of letters purportedly from Gacy that were given a spot of pridefulness successful the nightstand adjacent to his bed, according to Sullivan. 

E! News besides reached retired to Peck regarding his Gacy fandom alleged successful the bid but did not perceive back.

All That alum Shane Lyons spoke retired for the archetypal clip connected occurrence 5, telling big Soledad O'Brien that determination were "certainly immoderate passes" made astatine him by Peck and helium didn't recognize it astatine the time.

"When helium asked maine what bluish balls was, I thought they were racket balls," said Lyons, who appeared arsenic a supporting subordinate connected 23 episodes betwixt 2002 and 2004. Remembering however unaware of the word helium was, the erstwhile histrion continued, "As I deliberation backmost present arsenic an adult, arsenic a 36-year-old, would I ever person a speech with a 13-year-old lad similar helium had with me? No. It makes perfectly zero sense."

For the astir part, however, helium was grateful that thing much superior happened to him, and helium applauded Bell for telling his story.

E! News has reached retired to Peck but has not yet heard back.

Former formed members from shows run by Schneider talked in Quiet connected Set astir either feeling uncomfortable astatine the time—or successful hindsight—about immoderate of the costumes they were made to deterioration and assorted gross-out gags that whitethorn person been of questionable sensation but were televised for each Nickelodeon viewers to see.

Leon Frierson, who was on All That from 1997 until 2000, recalled having to deterioration flesh-colored tights and underwear to play a superhero called "Nose Boy" with accessories that "looked similar a penis and testicles connected my shoulders." In 1 sketch, Nose Boy sneezed and a glob of snot deed a miss successful the face.

In fact, slimy substances hitting girls successful the look was a repetition gag successful a fig of Schneider's shows, including Zoey 101, as pointed retired successful the ID bid by Jamie Lynn Spears' costar Alexa Nikolas. (She and iCarly alum Jennette McCurdy are among the erstwhile Nickelodeon actors who person antecedently spoken retired against the network for failing to support young talent.)

"It was conscionable uncomfortable," Frierson said successful the series. But, helium added, nary 1 thought to kick to Schneider. "It was important to beryllium connected his bully side," the now-37-year-old said of the All That writer-producer, "and helium made it known who was connected his bully side."

A spokesperson for Schneider told E! News, "Everything that happened connected the shows Dan ran was cautiously scrutinized by dozens of progressive adults and approved by the network. If determination was an existent occupation with the scenes that immoderate people, present years later, are 'sexualizing,' they would beryllium taken down, but they are not, they are aired perpetually each implicit the satellite contiguous still, enjoyed by some kids and parents."

"Remember, each stories, dialogue, costumes, and constitution were afloat approved by web executives connected 2 coasts," the rep continued. "A standards and practices radical work and yet approved each script, and programming executives reviewed and approved each episodes. In addition, each time connected each set, determination were ever parents and caregivers and their friends watching filming and rehearsals. Had determination been immoderate scenes oregon outfits that were inappropriate successful immoderate way, they would person been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.  

"Unfortunately, immoderate adults task their big minds onto kids' shows, drafting mendacious conclusions astir them."

Katrina Johnson, who was on All That between 1994 and 1997 and didn't enactment overmuch aft the aughts, shared details from her clip connected the sketch amusement that the now-41-year-old is inactive haunted by.

"One time the producers called my location and spoke to my parents and said, 'Hey, Katrina's getting excessively fat. We already person a abdominous one, she can't beryllium the abdominous one,'" she alleged in Quiet connected Set. While her ma and dada stuck up for her, she added, "I mean, that stuck with me. 'You can't beryllium the abdominous one.' I inactive perceive those words successful my caput to this day."

Soon after, Johnson said, she deed puberty and nary longer looked similar a kid, truthful she was yet "edged out...by a younger mentation of me."

Regarding the assorted recollections successful the ID series, Nickelodeon told NBC News successful a statement:

"Though we cannot corroborate oregon negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon arsenic a substance of argumentation investigates each ceremonial complaints arsenic portion of our committedness to fostering a harmless and nonrecreational workplace situation escaped of harassment oregon different kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and champion interests not conscionable of our employees, casts and crew, but of each children, and we person adopted galore safeguards implicit the years to assistance guarantee we are surviving up to our ain precocious standards and the expectations of our audience."

Bryan Christopher Hearne, who was connected seasons 7 and 8 of All That, was tasked with playing the youngest rapper of each time, "Lil Fetus," different quality requiring a skintight bodysuit. He said successful the ID bid that helium overheard idiosyncratic connected acceptable accidental that the "skin code should beryllium charcoal." 

The ace made him "teary-eyed," helium recalled, but by past helium was excessively acrophobic to archer his mother, Tracey Browne, who had already developed a estimation connected acceptable for being speedy to talk up successful her son's defense. Which, according to some Browne and Hearne successful the docuseries, was frowned upon.

"I became an oddball," Browne acknowledged. At the aforesaid time, she said, it didn't spell unnoticed to her that her lad was being asked to play Black stereotypes. Case successful point, she said, Hearne playing the relation of a kid hustling Girl Scout-type cookies successful the mode of idiosyncratic selling drugs. 

Castmate Kyle Sullivan, though helium called retired Schneider for being weirdly into goo-centric jokes, said successful Quiet connected Set that helium "generally had a bully narration with Dan."

In Hearne's opinion, however, Schneider "had a nicer narration with immoderate of the different achromatic kids. My clip connected Nickelodeon played a large portion successful however I dealt and inactive woody with radical issues."

It wasn't conscionable the adolescents who callback experiencing a toxic enactment spot connected these Schneider-run shows, according to Quiet connected Set.

Jenny Kilgen said successful the ID bid that, erstwhile she and Christy Stratton were hired arsenic writers on The Amanda Show in 1999, they were asked to divided a salary, arsenic successful their combined salaries were adjacent to what 1 writer successful their presumption was expected to make.

But, arsenic Kilgen recalled, she was bare for enactment and didn't privation to property her luck by complaining. She besides said she didn't propulsion backmost erstwhile Schneider asked if helium could conscionable telephone her and Stratton "the girls" alternatively of by name.

Moreover, some women said, Schneider would marque comments astir women not being funny, and he'd play demeaning pranks.

On different occasion, erstwhile Schneider created the quality of "Penelope Taynt" for Bynes to play connected The Amanda Show, Stratton and Kilgen said helium instructed them not to archer web execs that the sanction was an intended treble entendre, and they kept their mouths unopen for fearfulness of his wrath.

When Kilgen recovered retired that their divided wage was against national rules, she told the Writers Guild of America. Kilgen said Schneider called her astatine location and told her that, if helium ever recovered retired for definite that she was the 1 who reported him, that she'd ne'er enactment for Nickelodeon oregon immoderate different Viacom-owned entity again.

Quiet connected Set noted: "Dan Schneider denies Jenny's claims and states that helium had nary power implicit salaries."

A spokesperson for Schneider reiterated arsenic overmuch to E! News, noting The Amanda Show was produced by a antithetic institution (Tollin/Robbins), but adjacent connected shows helium created, salaries "were controlled by the web and besides by the WGA."

As for these recollections of Schneider's behavior, "unfortunately writers' rooms were often off-color places, particularly much than 20 years ago," the spokesperson said.
"Dan is highly atrocious for his behaviour that contributed to that situation and helium has grown a batch since then. That behaviour is intelligibly incorrect and not for the workplace, and surely helium would ne'er enactment that mode again."

"I retrieve each of the abusive events but, everything extracurricular of that, is precise blurry to me," Bell said successful the series. "Which is simply a bummer due to the fact that I experienced a batch of large things successful my beingness and my vocation during each this time, but it was truthful overshadowed and ruined by what I was dealing with connected the inside."

The actor, who shares a son with estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling (they separated successful 2022), pleaded guilty successful 2021 to one number each of attempted child endangerment and disseminating substance harmful to juveniles aft exchanging texts with a minor. He was sentenced to assemblage work and probation.

Bell said connected his behalf successful a video posted online that he'd exchanged "reckless and irresponsible" texts with a fan, not realizing the instrumentality was a minor, but ceased connection arsenic soon arsenic helium recovered out. "I privation to marque clear," helium said, "there were nary intersexual images, thing carnal betwixt maine and this individual."

His ain acquisition arsenic a teen "led to a batch of self-destruction and a batch of self-loathing," Bell said successful the series. "I would effort and conscionable flight with intoxicant abuse, substance abuse, truly conscionable thing to escape." As for his 2021 arrest, "I took work for that, did what was asked of me, but the media grabbed a clasp of truthful overmuch misinformation, and it perfectly destroyed me. And I started to rotation retired of control."

In April 2023 helium was reported missing in Daytona Beach, Fla., but he turned up the adjacent day and laughed it off. "You permission your telephone successful the car and don't reply for the nighttime and this?" helium tweeted astatine the time. Earlier that year, however, helium had reportedly sought outpatient treatment for substance abuse.

In the series, the Ready Steady Go! artist said that if he'd "continued down that path," it mightiness person been the extremity of him.

He deed "rock bottom," helium continued, truthful helium checked into treatment, wherever helium yet underwent grief and trauma therapy, "surrounded by radical who for the archetypal clip successful a agelong clip wanted to conscionable spot maine get better."

Schneider's tally astatine Nickelodeon ended successful 2018 erstwhile the web canceled his series Game Shakers after 3 seasons, while Henry Danger continued connected for a fifth. In a laudatory associated connection referencing his "string of lasting, groundbreaking hits," the network thanked the shaper and his Schneider's Bakery team for their "immeasurable contributions to Nickelodeon," portion Schneider said they would "always stay large fans of the network."

But reports rapidly followed that his ouster was the effect of excessively galore complaints made astir the prolific contented creator's behaviour successful the post-#MeToo era. (Four radical with cognition of the review told the New York Times in 2021 that an interior probe determined that Schneider could beryllium verbally abusive but recovered nary grounds of intersexual misconduct.)

He said successful a connection to Quiet connected Set that "this is not an close description" of wherefore helium and Nickelodeon parted ways. "However," helium added, "today, I would perfectly bash immoderate things differently. I've learned a batch implicit the years astir however to beryllium a amended boss."

In effect to the archetypal premiere of Quiet connected Set, Schneider sat down for an interrogation with iCarly histrion BooG!e successful which the shaper apologized for immoderate boorish oregon insensitive behavior, but denied allegations of radical favoritism oregon sexualizing the young actors connected his shows.

Hearne and fellow All That alum Giovannie Samuels outright snickered erstwhile O'Brien brought up Schneider's mea culpa.

"His interrogation arsenic a whole, I thought it was funny," Hearne said. "If I could beryllium candid, Dan was an histrion earlier each of this. So I deliberation that helium brushed disconnected immoderate chops and gave america a bully performance. Where was each of this apologizing erstwhile Jennette McCurdy's publication came out?"

In her bombshell 2022 memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy detailed, among different things, feeling similar she had to deterioration a bikini on iCarly and being pressured to portion intoxicant by a idiosyncratic she lone referred to arsenic "The Creator."

Hearne continued, "What's an apology without accountability? Realistically, if you instrumentality the inappropriate jokes away, bash you person a show?"

E! News has reached retired to Schneider for remark connected the latest Quiet connected Set episode but has yet to perceive back.