Drake Bell Slams Nickelodeon’s Response to Quiet on Set Abuse

The following article contains a discussion about child sexual abuse.

Drake & Josh star Drake Bell has criticized Nickelodeon’s response to his revelations of abuse in the recent television documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

The series, which is currently available to stream in the UK on Discovery+, follows the stories of both child actors and adult crew who are said to have experienced inappropriate workplace behavior on the set of various Nickelodeon shows run by producer Dan Schneider.

Bell, who appeared on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh” as a teenager, spoke publicly for the first time in the documentary about being molested by dialogue coach Brian Peck.

Peck was convicted in 2004 of lewd acts on a child and oral copulation with a person under 16, and Bell testified as part of Peck’s trial.

In response to the Quiet on Set news, a Nickelodeon spokesperson said: “Now that Drake Bell has revealed his identity as a plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are horrified and saddened to learn of the trauma he has suffered, and we recognize and support the strength it takes to come forward.” “

The network’s statement also said it “cannot confirm or deny allegations of conduct depicted in decades-old productions” but remains committed to “supporting a safe and professional work environment free from harassment or other types of misconduct.”

Bell has since been critical of the statement during an appearance on The Sarah Fraser Show, where he stated that Nickelodeon did not support him enough in this difficult situation.

“There’s a very well-tailored response that says, ‘I’m learning about his trauma,’ because you can’t say they didn’t know what happened or anything,” he argued. “So I think it was a really well-tailored response, probably from some big Hollywood lawyer.”

The actor continued: “I think their reactions are quite empty because they still show our shows, they still organize them. And I have to pay for my own therapy, I have to figure out what… I mean, if there was something, if there was any truth behind their concerns, there would be more than just quotes on a page, obviously from a legal representative, telling them exactly how adjust your answer.

Bell’s Drake and Josh co-star Josh Peck (no relation to Brian Peck) explained last week that “reliving” his friend’s trauma was “extremely difficult.”

“I have reached out to Drake privately, but I want to support the survivors who were brave enough to share with the world their stories of emotional and physical abuse on the Nickelodeon sets,” Peck said.

Belle also received an apology from the cast of “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” after it was revealed that they had made fun of Bell’s trauma during the recording of the podcast.

Separate from his experiences at Nickelodeon, Bell pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of disseminating material harmful to minors in connection with inappropriate text messages sent to a teenager in 2017.

Digital spy reached out to Nickelodeon for a response to Bell.

While Bell’s allegations differ from the workplace complaints filed against Dan Schneider, the former Nickelodeon producer was accused by former employees of promoting abuse, inappropriate behavior and a toxic work environment.

In response, Schneider said in a YouTube video: “Seeing the pain in some people’s eyes… it made me feel terrible, sorry and sorry.”

Quiet on set aired on Investigation Discovery in the US and can be watched in the UK at Discovery+.

---

If you are affected by the issues raised in this story, you can get more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works to eliminate all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, at their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. The rape crisis in Scotland The hotline number is 08088 01 03 02.

Readers in the US are encouraged to contact us RAIN, or the National Sexual Violence Hotline at 800-656-4673.

You may also like