Drake Bell has called Nickelodeon’s response to documentary Quiet On Set “pretty empty”.
In the third episode of the four-part series that aired on Discovery, Bell opened up about being sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck aged 15. He was reportedly abused by Peck whilst working on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002. Peck was arrested in August 2003 on over a dozen charges relating to sexual abuse involving an unnamed minor.
In 2004, he pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old, and to oral copulation with a minor under 16. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and forced to register as a sex offender.
Nickelodeon has since responded, saying they were “dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.” The network also added that “though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviours 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.
“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.
Now, Bell has commented on Nickelodeon’s statement, calling it “pretty empty”. Appearing on The Sarah Fraser Show podcast (as per Variety), Bell said it was a “very well-tailored response” by “probably some big attorney in Hollywood,” as “they couldn’t say that they didn’t know about this or what had happened.”
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“I find it pretty empty, their responses, because they still show our shows, they still put our shows on,” he 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 has recently come out in defense of his co-star Josh Peck, who coincidentally shares the same surname as Brian Peck but bears no relation to him.
“I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me and it’s been very sensitive,” Bell said in a TikTok. “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 it.”
In July 2021, Bell was sentenced to two years’ probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating harmful material to children. The charges related to a girl who had met him online and accused him of sending messages that were sexual in nature when she was 15 years old.
In a statement prior to the sentence, Bell said: “I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, but that was obviously not my intention. I have taken this matter very, very seriously. And again, I just want to apologise to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions.”