Drake Bell has spoken out in his first interview since the release of the explosive new docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
While stopping by The Sarah Fraser Show podcast, Bell talked about Nickelodeon‘s response to the documentary, in which the former child star details his sexual abuse by dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck.
“There’s a very well-tailored response saying, ‘Learning about his trauma,’ because they couldn’t say that they didn’t know about this or what had happened, or anything,” said Bell. “So I think that was a really well-tailored response by probably some big attorney in Hollywood.”
“I find it pretty empty, their responses, because, I mean, they still show our shows, they still put our shows on,” the Drake & Josh star added. “And I have to pay for my own therapy, I have to figure out what — I mean if there was anything, if there was any truth behind them actually caring, there would be something more than quotes on a page by obviously a legal representative telling them exactly how to tailor a response.”
Bell also said that he agreed to participate in the documentary after seeing how “very sensitive” one of the directors Emma Schwartz was in their emails and that he “could tell she was coming from a genuine place.”
He says he checked himself into rehab to help process his trauma shortly after meeting with Schwartz in person.
“I just felt really comfortable in that interview, but I was going through so much in my personal life and after that interview, I ended up checking myself into rehab,” said Bell. “We were going through a lot of trauma therapy, a lot of group therapy, a lot of one-on-one therapy — your entire day was filled with working through and processing this with a clear mind, and unearthing all of these things that I hadn’t faced head-on, or if I had tried to, it was too painful. And so through that process, once I got out, I thought to myself, ‘Maybe this is a good time to reach back out to them and say hey, I’m not 100% yet, let’s talk some more, but I’m getting closer to feeling comfortable with finally sharing my story.’”
Peck, who was 43 at the time, worked on the Nickelodeon shows All That and The Amanda Show (which Bell was on) in the late ’90s and early 2000s. He 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. Bell was not revealed as the victim until now.
Quiet on Set also alleges emotional abuse and sexualization of child actors by Drake & Josh creator Dan Schneider, who has apologized in a video interview with TMZ.
A spokesperson from Nickelodeon issued the following statement to Variety shortly after the documentary’s release: “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
“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,” the spokesperson added. “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.”