Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell will soon recount the alleged abuse he faced at the hands of his former dialogue coach Brian Peck. This was revealed by Investigation Discovery, who shared a clip from the upcoming docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
ID's four-part documentary series will explore the toxic culture behind some of Nickelodeon's hit shows. It will mainly focus on Dan Schneider, the creator behind the channel's successful hits such as iCarly and Zoey101. He is alleged to have abused and discriminated against child actors, as per Business Insider.
The synopsis of the upcoming title as per Investigation Discovery reads:
"QUIET ON SET reveals an insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew."
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will air on ID from 9 pm to 11 pm ET/PT on Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18.
The Drake Bell and Brian Peck controversy
Brian Peck is an actor and producer, who is most notably known for his guest role in Boy Meets World. Born on July 29, 1960, Peck has worked in video games and films such as X2: X-Men United (2003) and Forever Strong (2008). During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he partnered with Nickelodeon to serve as a dialogue coach for the channel's shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peck was accused of m*lesting a child in August 2003. He was charged with performing a lewd act with a minor under 16, and Drake Bell was reportedly the minor in question, as per Page Six.
Brian Peck was then sentenced to 16 months in prison and reportedly convicted in 2004. He was also required to register as a s*x offender.
In a report following the arrest, the LAPD stated that the m*lestation occurred over a six-month period, according to the victim's family. It also stated that Peck was "coaching the victim" at the time of the alleged assault.
"The lewd acts with the minor occurred approximately two years ago at Peck’s residence in the 13000 block of Delano Street, Valley Glen. At the time, Peck was coaching the victim," the statement read.
The victim, who was a minor at the time, was reportedly Drake Bell, as per Page Six. A press release by ID stated that the actor will open up about his experience for the first time in the upcoming series. The press note mentioned that Drake Bell will share "the story of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach who was convicted in 2004 for his crimes against Drake and ordered to register as a sex offender."
Former Boy Meets World cast spoke out against guest star Brian Peck
Last month, Brian Peck made headlines when his Boy Meets World co-stars accused him of being a "manipulator." During a podcast titled Pod Meets World on February 19, hosts and actors of the sitcom Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle sat down with therapist Kati Morton to talk about Peck. According to the episode's description on iHeart, the episode discussed "the difficult subjects of grooming, childhood s*xual abuse and their effects on victims."
In the podcast, Friedle described Peck as a "funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with." The hosts spoke about how Peck turned himself into a victim when he was accused of the 2003 crime and manipulated the youngsters into supporting him in court.
"There's an actual victim here. And he turned us against the victim to where now we're on his team," Friedle said.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Friedle and Fishel wrote letters to the judge in defense of Brian Peck during the trial. "I look back at that as my ever-loving shame," Friedle said before adding:
"Getting taken in by somebody who’s a good actor and a manipulator, I could chalk that up to being young and that’s the way it is. It’s awful."
The actors shared their regret with regard to supporting the dialogue coach and hoped that their conversation could help people identify signs of manipulation.
Brian Peck continues to work in Hollywood, with recent projects including Animal Showdown (2018) and Freaks of Nature (2015), according to IMDb.
Drake Bell to share his experience for the first time on Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Born on June 27, 1986, Drake Bell rose to fame as a child star and was known for his roles in The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh. He is also a musician and has been involved in several philanthropic projects as well. The Hollywood Reporter stated that Bell was convicted of child endangerment back in 2021, and was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
In the new clip released by ID about Brian Peck's role as a s*xual predator, Drake Bell can be seen sitting on a chair, ready to share his story. However, the clip ends without a statement from the Drake & Josh actor. He will shed light on the allegation for the first time in the upcoming Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz directorial, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
ID's new title will air on March 17 and 18 at 9 pm ET/PT.