Drake Bell.Photo:Courtesy Investigation Discovery
Courtesy Investigation Discovery
“Brian and I became really close because we had a lot of the same interests, which looking back, I think that was probably a little calculated,” Bell, now 37, says in the docuseries, which premieres across two nights on ID from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT on March 17 and March 18.
After some time, Bell’s father, Joe Bell, expressed his concerns with production and said he was uncomfortable with Peck, who also appeared on screen as “Pickle Boy,” always being around his son. The relationship between Peck and his son still didn’t sit well with Joe — who also managed Drake’s career —- and when he mentioned it again he claims he was “ostracized” on set and “backed off.”
Drake Bell as Drake Parker in ‘Drake & Josh’. ; Drake Bell attends the Thirst Project’s Inaugural Legacy Summit on July 20, 2019.Nickelodeon ; Michael Tran/Getty
Nickelodeon ; Michael Tran/Getty
After a rift developed between Drake and his father, Peck stepped in. He would later accompany Drake to acting auditions in Los Angeles, which were at least an hour away from where Drake lived with his mother. Due to the distance, Drake would frequently spend the night at Peck’s house, but one night when he was 15 everything changed.
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“I was sleeping on the couch where I usually sleep and I woke up to him… I opened my eyes and I woke up and he was…he was sexually assaulting me,” Bell says. “And I froze, and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react.”
“You know anytime I had an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house,” Bell continues. “And it just got worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal.”
Bell says the abuse happened more than once — and that he has never forgotten what happened to him.
In 2004, in connection with Bell’s case, Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. Bell’s identity as the victim was not made public at the time. Peck spent 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender.
Bell says in the docuseries that Schneider was not aware he was Peck’s victim until Bell confided in him. Schneider — wholeft the network in 2018— offered to support him in any way he could, says Bell.
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In a statement toPeople, Nickelodeon says, “Now that Drake Bell had 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.”
Bell’s story is one of many included in the docuseries, which features multiple interviews with former cast members, writers and crew from popular teen series likeAll That,The Amanda ShowandZoey 101.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
