[ad_1]
Drake Bell is speaking out for the first time about the “brutal” sexual abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of a former Nickelodeon speech coach.
In the third episode of the Investigation Discovery series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” the former “Drake & Josh” star, 37, alleges that his speech coach Brian Peck sexually assaulted him when he was 15 years.
peck was arrested in August 2003 on a charge of lewd acts with a child, stemming from a 2001 incident in which he allegedly sexually abused a boy he was coaching over a six-month period. He was convicted in 2004.
In the documentary, Bell describes how he woke up on the couch one morning to find Peck sexually assaulting him. “I was frozen and in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react,” she says. “I have no idea how to get out of this situation.”
USA TODAY has contacted a representative for Peck for comment.
Drake Bell’s Father Alleges He Raised Concerns About Brian Peck’s Behavior to Nickelodeon
Bell says he met Peck when he was hired as a speech coach on the second season of Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show.” They connected because they had similar interests, which Bell now considers “a little calculated.”
Joe Bell, Drake’s father, also says in the documentary that he was worried that Peck was “too much” with his son and noticed that he habitually touched him. He claims that he informed the show’s production that he felt “very uncomfortable” with Peck “always being around my son,” but claims that he was accused of homophobia and claimed that Peck is just “a touchy-feely guy.”
In a statement to USA TODAY, Nickelodeon said: “Now that Drake Bell has revealed his identity as a plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are shocked and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength it took to come forward.”
Drake Bell says Brian Peck drove a ‘gap’ between him and his father
Peck soon began to become more and more integrated into Bell’s life, the actor says. When Bell’s father tried to make it difficult for Peck to be around him, Peck allegedly set out to “drive a wedge” between them, Bell adds. This culminated in Bell leaving his father as his manager, causing a rift between the two.
“Very, very quickly, Brian put himself in the position of what my father had been doing my whole life,” Bell says, adding that Peck began picking him up for auditions and asking him to spend the night at his house.
After the alleged sexual assault occurred, Bell says Peck apologized and told her it would “never happen again,” but the abuse continued and became progressively worse.
“I was just stuck,” Bell says. “I had no way out.”
Drake Bellto discuss alleged sexual abuse while at Nickelodeon, new docuseries says
Drake Bell alleges Brian Peck’s abuse ‘got pretty brutal’
She adds: “The abuse was extensive and became quite brutal. I really don’t know how to explain that on camera. Why don’t you do this? Why don’t you think about the worst things someone could do?” do to someone like sexual assault, and that will answer your question. “It wasn’t a one-time thing.”
But Bell says he didn’t speak out at the time because Peck was so well connected that he feared doing so would hurt his acting career. Peck reportedly tried, unsuccessfully, to land the role of the father on “Drake & Josh.”
Bell says his girlfriend’s mother intervened and took him to therapy after becoming alarmed when Peck repeatedly called him to say she wanted to take him to Disneyland.
“A man in his forties doesn’t call my daughter’s boyfriend that,” she remembers him saying. Bell says she finally “exploded” and revealed what had been going on in a conversation with her mother, prompting her to call the police.
Drake Bell recalls police investigation into alleged abuse of Brian Peck
During the subsequent police investigation, Bell says he called Peck and asked him to confess to the alleged taped abuse. “He kept asking me, ‘Are they recording us?'” Bell says.
But Bell says he was surprised to find that Peck was still receiving support after his arrest, since “his entire side of the courtroom was packed” when he was sentenced in 2004. In February, “Boy Meets World” stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong accused Peck. to prepare them and expressed “embarrassment” that they initially supported him in court.
Bell says this traumatic period in his life led him to engage in “a lot of self-destruction,” including alcohol and substance abuse.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Nickelodeon said that “while we cannot corroborate or deny allegations of behavior from decades-old productions, Nickelodeon, as a matter of policy, investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe working environment.” safe and professional free of harassment. or other type of inappropriate conduct.”
The network added: “Our top priorities are the well-being and best interests of not only our employees, cast and crew, but all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are up to the task.” live up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.
‘I owe you an explanation’:Drake Bell speaks out against child endangerment conviction
Mother breaks down when remembering the alleged abuse her daughter suffered in the Nick production
In another episode of the documentary, the mother of a former “The Amanda Show” actress, Brandi, alleges that a production assistant sent her daughter a nude photograph. Brandi’s last name is not mentioned.
“We, as parents, weren’t allowed to be on set,” says Brandi’s mother, MJ, noting that production assistant Jason Handy was in charge of walking the kids throughout the set. He was “very charismatic, very charming,” he recalls.
Brandi was a guest on “The Amanda Show” for an episode, so the 11-year-old exchanged emails with Handy to stay connected for future opportunities. MJ says her email exchanges were “innocent” until the production assistant allegedly sent Brandi a nude photo.
“It was a naked photo of him masturbating and he said he sent it to her because he wanted her to see that he was thinking about her,” MJ says through tears.
He ultimately decided not to report it to the police for fear of retaliation, but he kicked Brandi out of the industry and “never came back.” It was useful arrested in 2003 and convicted in 2004 of lewd acts against underage girls who appeared on “The Amanda Show” and “Cousin Skeeter.”
Law enforcement was later alerted to inappropriate material at Handy’s home, leading to his arrest. “The investigation revealed that Handy was attempting to prey on children at his church, in his neighborhood and through the Internet. Handy, an entertainment industry employee, was using those connections to contact children,” a Police Department said. of the Angels. Press release from the indicated moment.
Police found thousands of images of children in compromising positions and, according to MJ, ziplock bags of several girls who “had some kind of token on them.” Investigators contacted her family because Brandi’s name was written on a zip-top bag along with letters she had exchanged with Handy.
Handy was sentenced to six years in prison for lewd acts on a child, distribution of sexually explicit material by email and a misdemeanor related to child sexual exploitation, according to documents seen by Los Angeles Times.
One of the charges concerned a nine-year-old girl who appeared in “Cousin Skeeter,” according to the docuseries.
Brandi participated in the court case, but “there was never any apology,” her mother said.
How to watch ‘Silence on the Set’
“Quiet on Set” will air on ID over two nights, March 17 and 18, starting at 9 p.m. ET.
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org).
MenHealing provides resources and services for adult men who have been sexually victimized during childhood or adulthood. You can visit their website for more information or follow MenHealing on Facebook, instagram either Twitter.
