"So sorry": Devon Werkheiser posts apology after making fun of Drake Bell abuse allegations

Former Nickelodeon actor Devon Werkheiser has apologized to Drake Bell for joking about the abuse the latter faced as a child actor. On March 19, the Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide actor took to X to post an apology after he faced criticism for making fun of the new docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Posting a screenshot of his notes app, he captioned:

"So sorry to Drake. Gutted I hurt you."

In the four-part documentary series Quiet on Set on Investigation Discovery, former Nickelodeon actors and crew members talked of the mistreatment they endured at the hands of showrunner Dan Schneider and other people. Drake Bell disclosed on the show that he had been assaulted as a child by Brian Peck, with the first installment airing on March 17.

Devon Werkheiser faced backlash when a clip from his TikTok live went viral. In the clip, he can be seen making flippant jokes about Drake Bell and the allegations made in the docuseries. This prompted him to make an apology to Bell.

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What did Devon Werkheiser say in his apology?

On March 19, an X user shared a video clip from Devon Werkheiser's TikTok live. During the livestream with Ned’s Declassified co-stars Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee, Werkheiser awkwardly joked about the allegations made in the Quiet on Set docuseries.

He can be heard saying to Lee:

"Daniel, we told you never to speak about that. Get back in your hole, Daniel, and give me your holes!"

He then goes on to say that they should not be joking about the situation, insisting that their set was not "like that." He was referring to the allegations that other Nickelodeon sets were toxic under Dan Schneider. He added:

"No, it’s f***ing awful. The Drake Bell sh**, that’s crazy to hear. That is f***ed. And that never came out, which is really wild. Really wild."

Reacting to the video, Drake Bell posted his thoughts on X:

"Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up…"Give me your h*les?!!" Really?!"

After receiving adverse reactions to his video, Devon Werkheiser posted an apology on his social media:

"I was being an idiot today. No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumba*s was even speaking about this without seeing it. I watched Quiet On Set tonight and am horrified by the gravity of what Drake and others shared. Truly heartbroken about what my fellow actors went through. I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I’m sorry for compounding any hurt."

Werkheiser currently hosts a podcast titled Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide along with former co-stars Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee. He also has his own separate podcast titled Growing Up with Devon Werkheiser.

Meanwhile, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV aired on ID on March 17 and 18. The series delved into the abuse faced by actors and staff members under the purview of Dan Schneider who was responsible for Nickelodeon's hit shows such as iCarly and Zoey 101.