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Brian Peck has not been associated with Nickelodeon since he was convicted of sexually abusing a child star in 2004, but Drake Bell — the former star of hit shows such as Drake & Josh and The Amanda Bynes Show — has come forward as the child actor in question in the two-part docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Though the doc also focuses on former Nickelodeon sitcom producer Dan Schneider and his alleged mistreatment of staff, Bell revealed disturbing details about Peck.
Learn more about Peck and the allegations against him below.
Brian Peck Was a Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach
The former dialogue coach — who is now a registered sex offender — worked on several Nickelodeon productions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Peck was Bell’s manager.
After Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 and a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old in 2004, Bell’s identity was kept a secret for 20 years. In a statement obtained by Hollywood Life from Nickelodeon on March 13, 2024, the network responded to the news of Bell’s revelations.
“Now that Drake Bell has 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,” the statement read.
In a separate statement from Nickelodeon, the network addressed other former staff members’ allegations of sexual abuse.
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct,” the second statement read. “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Drake Bell Exposes Peck in ‘Quiet on Set’
The “I Found a Way” artist revealed in Quiet on Set, which premieres in two parts on Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18, on Investigation Discovery, that he was molested by Peck.
“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 explained in one scene from the upcoming doc. “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 then recalled a horrifying incident when Peck molested him when he was 15 years old while he was sleeping.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I usually sleep and I woke up to him,” Bell began. “I opened my eyes and I woke up and he was … he was sexually assaulting me. And I froze, and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react.”
Brian Peck Starred in ‘Boy Meets World’
Peck appeared in a few episodes of the hit sitcom Boy Meets World. During a 2024 episode of the “Pod Meets World” podcast, former series stars Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong recalled how Peck convinced them that he was falsely accused of child molestation in 2003. Strong recalled how they supported Peck at the time because they “did not know” that he was guilty of sexually abusing a minor.
“I never heard about the other things because, back then, you couldn’t Google to find out what people were being charged with,” Strong said. “So, in retrospect, making a plea deal and admitting one thing, which is all he admitted to us, but it looks like he was being charged with a series of crimes, which we did not know.”
Peck asked Strong and Friedle to back him up in court, so they wrote letters to the judge at the time defending Peck. Now knowing that Peck was, in fact, guilty, the former child actors expressed their remorse for defending the sex offender.
Friedle added, “There’s an actual victim here, and [Peck] turned us against the victim to where now we’re on his team. That’s the thing where, to me, I look back at that as my ever-loving shame for this entire [thing]. 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.”
Though the Boy Meets World stars did not name Bell, the musician detailed addressing Peck’s defenders in the courtroom during his Quiet on Set doc appearance.
“On the day of sentencing for Brian, I get to the courthouse, and it was the most unbelievable thing you have ever seen. His entire side of the courtroom was full,” Bell recalled, per Us Weekly. “There were definitely some recognizable faces on that side of the room and my side was me, my mom and my brother. I addressed my statement to everyone in the room. I looked at all of them, and I just said, ‘How dare you. You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you are defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes. And that is what I will remember.’”
Brian Peck Is Not Related to Josh Peck
According to Business Insider, Peck is not related to Bell’s former Drake & Josh co-star, Josh Peck, who has not publicly responded to the revelations made in Quiet on Set.
He Was Defended by a Few Celebrities
In addition to Strong and Friedle, multiple outlets reported that Peck got support from other well-known names in the business. James Marsden, Taran Killam, Alan Thicke and Ron Melendez submitted letters to the court in favor of Peck.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
