Less than a month after Investigation Discovery debuted its bombshell-dropping docuseries Quiet on Set, the network unveiled its additional follow-up episode — also available to stream with a Max subscription — with Drake Bell and more former child stars talking about the public reactions to all the details that were revealed throughout the project. Bell specifically talked with Soledad O’Brien about the fan backlash that his former co-star Josh Peck faced for his actions after the docuseries premiered, and made it seems as if they’re once again on positive terms.
The first section of Quiet on Set’s fifth installment was focused almost entirely on Drake Bell’s follow-up interview, while also featuring a previously unseen portion of the original interview addressing the sexual abuse he faced from convicted felon Brian Peck. Bell addressed quite a few topics, from jokey comments made by Boy Meets World stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle to the way his parents have been coping with all the attention and renewed focus, while also sharing more kind words for Amanda Bynes and other Nickelodeon vets.
Understandably, the interview reached a point where O’Brien brought up Josh Peck and the way fans came after the former Drake & Josh namesake, which sparked this even-keeled response from Bell:
I know what it’s like to have the internet attack you for, I mean, really nothing. He’d reached out to me, and we’ve been talking. This is a really difficult thing to process. But at the end of the day, we have such a close connection and this unique bond that’s so rare in this industry that, I don’t know, it’s really special, and he’s a really great person.
While there are no doubt still things for the two to hash out in private, Bell’s comments imply that his personal relationship with Josh Peck is once again on the rise. Those comments echo his earlier pleas for fans to stop going so hard on Peck, but perhaps seem even more personable, given how kindly he speak of their bond, and that’s on top of the “great person” compliment.
Why Josh Peck Faced A Fan Backlash
In the aftermath of reports revealing Quiet on Set‘s plan to document Drake Bell’s abuse admissions, fans began seeking out any kind of response from Josh Peck on social media. And when he didn’t immediately share any support or otherwise, the negativity took hold, to the point where the Grandfathered vet inevitably had to share a response statement after having viewed the docuseries, which stated:
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.
Even at that point, Drake Bell shared a video with his followers confirming that Peck reached out privately, and asked them to “take it a little easy on him.” Hopefully that quelled at least some of the negativity.
Bell and Peck’s friendly relationship has long been a source of interest for fans going back to their Nickelodeon days. Though they appeared to be BFFs off-screen during the years when their series was on the air, a rift appeared to grow in the years afterward. That discord culminated in Bell not being invited to Peck’s 2017 wedding to Paige O’Brien, leading Bell to declare their friendship severed, which then amounted to an awkward MTV Video Music Awards reunion months later, during which Peck demanded Bell apologize to O’Brien for past comments.
In any case, the Drake & Josh stars’ relationship apparently only got better at that point, even if Bell’s then-wife Janet Von Schmeling slammed Peck after the fact. Here’s hoping fans can back down a little so that they can work out their issues without all the background noise.
The fifth episode of Quiet on Set, which features actors responding to ousted creator Dan Schneider’s apology video, is available to stream on Max with the previous four installments. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what other projects are hitting the small screen soon.
