Drake Bell opened up about his decision to participate in Investigation Discovery’s four-part documentary series “Quiet on Set,” which spotlights the allegations of abusive and toxic behavior fostered by former Nickelodeon producer and screenwriter Dan Schneider.
“Things were spiraling out of control, personally and mentally, and I thought, ‘Maybe this could help the healing process and also help others who have gone through the same situations or similar situations,’” Bell said during an interview with “Today” on Monday.
Bell came into the series at the end of “Quiet on Set,” in which he discusses the sexual abuse he endured at the hands of former “Drake & Josh” dialogue coach Brian Peck. Talking about his experience is still difficult for the actor and musician, who’s now 37.
“It’s hard because if I go and try to talk to that little boy with a lot of that going through my head, what am I going to tell him?” Bell said as a tear dropped from his eye.
In 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison after he was arrested in August 2003 on 11 sexual abuse charges related to the sexual abuse of an unnamed child. He was ordered to register as a sex offender in October 2004. Since then, Nickelodeon has implemented a variety of new on-set safety measures, including hiring studio welfare workers, requiring parents/guardians to be with children during production as well as criminal background checks.
“Well, it’s very difficult to say because Brian would have passed a background check,” Bell said. Bell eventually underwent rehabilitation to overcome his substance abuse, which he credits to the trauma he experienced as a teen.
“You’re so frightened of facing this stuff that you try to cloud it with as much as you can,” Bell said. The star also addressed sending inappropriate messages to a 15-year-old female fan. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. He was sentenced to two years of probation. Bell said he wasn’t aware that she was underage.
“There were some messages that shouldn’t have been exchanged … That’s why I plead guilty. Once the age was revealed, that’s when I stopped communication,” Bell said.
Today, Bell has moved to New Mexico to focus on his music career, with his sixth studio album set to release this year. Reflecting on where he is today, he says he’s able to tell his younger self that everything will be OK.
“Now I’m able to go back to him, and hold him, tell him, ‘It’s going to be OK. You’re going to find strength. This is something that happened to me. This isn’t me,’” Bell said as he wiped tears away.
