Drake Bell has spoken to his former Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck, and is hoping fans will stop harassing him on social media.
In a recent video published to TikTok, Bell revealed that he had spoken with Peck since the release of Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
“I just want to clear something up. I’ve noticed a lot of comments on on some of Josh’s TikToks and some of his posts,” Bell said (via Deadline). “I just want to let you guys know that this is really, you know, processing this and going through this is a really, emotional time and a lot of it’s very, very difficult. So not everything is put out to the public.”
Bell went on to say that he and Peck spoke, and that the situation has been “very sensitive.” However, he urged fans to “take it a little easy” on Peck.
“But I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me and it’s been very sensitive,” said Bell. “But he has reached out to 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 it.”
Bell detailed sexual assault he suffered while an actor for Nickelodeon
Bell appeared in the ID documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a series that dives into alleged emotional abuse by Nickelodeon executive Dan Schneider as well as physical abuse by Peck.
“My name is Drake Bell and I came here today to tell my story,” Bell says during the documentary’s third episode (via Variety), before he goes on to describe his relationship with Peck. According to Bell, issues first arose when his father Joe — who served as his manager at the time — became uncomfortable with how much time Peck was spending with his son, something that production alleged was just homophobia on Joe’s part due to Peck being gay.
Bell would go on to say that he spent nights at Peck’s home and that things changed one morning when Bell awoke to find Peck sexually assaulting him. Bell was 15 at the time of the incident.
Brian Peck was arrested in 2003 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. He was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison after a conviction, and is now a registered sex offender.
