Opening up about a devastating topic, Drake Bell speaks out for the first time about being sexually assaulted by Nickelodeon dialogue and acting coach, Brian Peck.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse
In the new ID documentary, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Peck was a key topic. He had worked with child actors for years.
But in 2003, he was arrested on 11 charges, including sodomy, lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 by a person 10 years older, and oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance. The minor in the case was not named.
However, Drake Bell has revealed he was the minor. “My name is Drake Bell and I came here today to tell my story,” he declares during the documentary’s third episode. He then opened up about his close relationship with Peck. He had met the dialogue coach on the set of The Amanda Show during the series’ second season.
Bell shared that his father, Joe, who was his manager at the time, had become uncomfortable with how much time Peck was spending with the child actor. He even went as far as speaking to the production about his concerns.
“I go, ‘I don’t see anything abnormal but it just doesn’t — I don’t have a good feeling,’” Joe said. He then claimed that the production team told him that Peck was gay. They then accused him of being homophobic. “You just don’t understand that he’s a touchy-feely guy,” Joe recalled the production team telling him.
Joe decided to “back off” after he felt “ostracized” about his concerns. He was eventually pushed out of his son’s life. Drake ended up staying at Peck’s home in Los Angeles when he had auditions because his mother lived in Orange County. That’s when things took a turn.
Drake Bell Said ‘Everything Changed’ With Brian Peck One Morning
As he continued to speak about his interactions with Brian Peck, Drake Bell revealed that everything changed with the dialogue coach one morning.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep,” Bell explained. “I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me.”
Drake Bell recalled being frozen and completely shocked by what was happening to him. “[I] no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation.”
Bell then said that the situation became a secret because he knew that if he stopped working with Peck, people would ask questions. The actor also pointed out that Peck was “so apologetic” and assured him that it would never happen again.
“He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house,” Drake Bell shared. “And it just got worse and worse and worse and worse.”
Bell then said that the abuse was extensive and became brutal. “ I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really… Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.”
Although he didn’t go to the police immediately, his girlfriend’s mother knew something was off. Her first clue was Peck calling repeatedly one night. She then took him to a therapist. However, Peck became more manipulative and tried to get cast as the dad on the Drake & Josh show.
Eventually, Drake Bell spoke out. This led to Peck’s August 2003 arrest.