Nickelodeon’s response to Drake Bell’s revelation of sexual abuse on their show “The Amanda Show” has been called “pretty empty” by the actor. In the third episode of a documentary series called “Quiet On Set,” Bell talks about being abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck while working on the show between 1999 and 2002. Peck was arrested in August 2003 and sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2004 after pleading no contest to performing a lewd act with a minor aged 14 or 15 years old and to oral copulation with a minor under 16.
After the episode aired, Nickelodeon released a statement showing support for Bell and their commitment to ensuring a safe workplace for their casts and crew. The statement also suggested they investigate all formal complaints to build a nurturing and protected environment, promising to remove inappropriate conduct completely. However, Bell doesn’t agree with the statement and has gone on record to say so. He called Nickelodeon’s response “pretty empty,” adding that they still show the cast’s shows and that he has to pay for his therapy.
Bell recently defended his co-star Josh Peck, who shares the same name as Brian Peck but is unrelated. The two stars appeared together on a show, and Bell shared his co-star had reached out to him and has been very supportive. It is a sensitive topic, and Bell asks the public to take it easy, implying he doesn’t want to hurt Peck’s reputation.
Bell himself was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to charges of attempting child endangerment and disseminating harmful messages in 2021. Bell was accused of sending sexual messages to a girl who had accused him of the same when she was 15 years old after having met him online. Bell said, “I’m sorry the victim was harmed in any way, but that was not my intention.”
Bell’s abuse revelation highlights the pervasive nature of sexual assault across the entertainment industry and brings the focus back on how media houses have to focus on creating safe spaces for child actors and production crew to work in. Bell’s experiences have revealed a need for a more comprehensive policy that protects people from inappropriate conduct and reviews complaints in a timely fashion
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