Known for starring in popular shows like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, the 37-year-old actor Drake Bell is opening up about the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Nickelodeon dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck. The acting coach was charged with abusing an unidentified child in 2003. And that unidentified child has since stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself as Bell in the new ID documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
The documentary reveals the harrowing acts of Peck, who once had considerable influence over shaping young talents like Bell. Peck even earned the trust of Drake’s mother, exploiting it to manipulate her into letting the actor stay at his home, where he endured a nightmarish ordeal.
Brian Peck Convinced Drake Bell’s Mother to Let Him Stay at His House
In the upcoming documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, actor Kyle Sullivan states that all parents loved and trusted Brian Peck and it was common for Nickelodeon’s child actors to spend time at his residence.
Drake Bell was also one of the child actors, who frequently stayed at Peck’s home. The actor, who lived in Orange County with his mother, often stayed at Peck’s home in Los Angeles when he had an audition. However, it soon turned into a house of horrors for him, after he woke up to find himself being assaulted by the acting coach.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep,” Bell shared in the documentary before further stating, “I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was s*xually assaulting me.” The actor, who was 15 at the time, shared that he did not know what to do.
The Drake & Josh star described feeling trapped as Peck manipulated his mother into allowing him to stay over for auditions and dialogue rehearsals. And the abuse escalated over time. “It just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out,” he shared, via Variety.
Bell shares that the abuse got so “extensive” and “brutal,” that he could not even describe it on camera. He also admitted to being consumed by fear, rendering him unable to confide in anyone about his ordeal.
Drake Bell Was Reluctance to Speak Out at First
Despite his distressing encounters, Drake Bell found it hard to speak out against Brian Peck and did not immediately report the abuse. However, the actor has shared that his girlfriend’s mother got the hunch that something was not right and took him to a therapist. He was still unable to express his pain and suffering due to his profound fear.
“I was just so scared to say anything, I didn’t know how to explain [it.] I still don’t… I’ve never talked about this outside of therapy. I just said, ‘No, everything’s normal, things are getting a little weird but nothing’s happened. Good thing we caught it when we did.”
The documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV reveals the systemic issues of the entertainment industry, highlighting the vulnerabilities and exploitation faced by young actors. And Bell’s revelation adds to the growing conversation about child safety and accountability in the entertainment world.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is set to release on March 17, 2024.
