CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse.
Drake Bell has opened up for the first time about the grooming and sexual abuse he endured as a child working with Nickelodeon, allegedly at the hands of dialogue producer Brian Peck (no relation to Bell’s co-star Josh Peck).
Bell describes the “brutal” abuse in the third episode Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a docuseries about allegations of child abuse and misconduct on the set of Nickelodeon’s childrens shows.
Bell, who starred in The Amanda Show from the ages of 13 to 15, says he regularly slept over at Brian Peck’s home during filming, because it was closer to set than his mother’s home.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me,” Bell said, per Variety’s advance viewing of the episode.
“I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation.”
Bell, who was 15 at the time, said that afterwards Beck apologised and promised it would not happen again — but Bell alleged that it did, and that the abuse got “worse and worse”.
“I was just trapped. I had no way out,” Bell said in the episode. He alleged that the abuse became “extensive” and “pretty brutal”, and that Beck threatened to end Bell’s career if he told anyone about it.
Bell’s father said he voiced his discomfort with the sleepover arrangement because he didn’t “have a good feeling” about Beck, but alleged he was accused of homophobia and dismissed by producers.
It wasn’t until Bell landed his role in Drake and Josh, and Peck attempted to also be cast in it, that Bell “exploded” on the phone to his mother and told her everything.
A police investigation was launched, and cops staged a phone call between Bell and Beck where Bell discussed his anguish. Eventually, Beck confessed his crimes in the call.
Peck was arrested in 2003 and charged with 11 offences, including sodomy, a lewd act against a child, oral copulation of a person under 16, and oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance.
He was convicted of sexually abusing an unknown child actor in 2004, and sentenced to 16 months in jail. The release of the documentary is the first time the child actor has been named as Drake Bell.
Upon his release, Peck went back to working on children’s shows despite being a convicted sex offender.
Bell has been in and out of rehab for trauma and substance abuse since the assault.
He pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge in 2021, after prosecutors found he sent “inappropriate social media messages” to a 15-year-old girl.
The girl later alleged Bell had also sexually assaulted her.
Bell denied these allegations, and insists he stopped sending her messages when he learned of her age.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will look into claims of predatory behaviours on the sets of childrens shows, including allegations made against Dan Schneider. It premieres on Sunday in the US, however, it won’t air on Australian television until April.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
