‘Drake & Josh’ Star Drake Bell Details “Extensive” Abuse By Former Nickelodeon Employee Brian Peck: “It Got Pretty Brutal”

Drake Bell is detailing the alleged sexual assault he faced at the hands of former Nickelodeon dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck.

In 2003, Peck was arrested 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, according to Variety. In the third episode of the upcoming docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Bell revealed himself as the unnamed minor who was allegedly abused by Peck, who was 43 at the time.

Bell reportedly met Peck while filming the second season of The Amanda Show. They began spending a lot of time together, which made Bell’s father (also his manager at the time) uncomfortable. When Bell’s dad expressed his concerns to production, they allegedly told him that Peck was gay and suggested that he was “homophobic” and didn’t “understand that [Peck was] a touchy-feely guy,” prompting him to “back off.”

Bell, who was 15 at the time, continued to spend many nights at Peck’s house in Los Angeles. However, he claimed that “everything changed” one morning.

“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. “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.”

The former Nickelodeon actor said the incident “became this secret” and while Peck was “so apologetic,” things continued to get “worse and worse and worse and worse” the more he stayed at his house.

“I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really,” Bell said. “Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.”

Bell kept the abuse to himself for a while, noting that he was the victim of Peck’s “mental manipulation.” Because Peck knew a lot of Hollywood producers, Bell believed he “would never be able” to continue acting if he told anyone what happened.

It wasn’t until Bell refused to let Peck be cast as the dad on Drake & Josh that he finally told his mother everything, prompting her to call the police and begin a “brutal” investigation.

“I had to be excruciatingly detailed about every single thing, [every] time that it had happened, with two absolute strangers,” Bell recalled. “The worst part was I had to make a phone call to Brian and get him to admit what he’d done.”

He continued, “I said [on the phone], ‘I’m really struggling with this stuff now. I’m so torn up, I’m so broken, I’m so emotionally distressed right now. Why did this happen?’ He just started a full-on confession. He kept asking me over and over again, he was like, ‘Are we being recorded?'”

The stress of everything took a physical toll on Bell, who recalled “losing [his] hair” and getting “big scabs on [his] head.” When it came time for Peck’s sentencing in October 2004, the courtroom was reportedly filled with his supporters, including Boy Meets World star Will Friedle — who recently expressed regret over standing up for the “abuser’s side,” claiming that he was also manipulated by Peck.

“I looked at all of them and I just said, ‘How dare you?'” Bell recalled of when he took the stand. “I said, ‘You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes, and that’s what I will remember.'”

Peck pleaded no contest to two charges of sexual abuse and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and required to register as a sex offender. After his release, he reportedly did voice-over work on three episodes of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where he had no interaction with any cast or crew. But once the network was made aware of his conviction, he was immediately fired and his voice was replaced, according to an insider who spoke to Variety.

Nickelodeon shared a statement with Decider regarding past behaviors on Nickelodeon sets.

“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 statement read. “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.”

The company also addressed the scandal involving Bell.

“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,” they said.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.