Drake & Josh's Josh Peck addresses Drake Bell allegations
Following yesterday’s comments from Bell, his former screen partner Josh Bell says, “Children should be protected"
Photo: Randy Shropshire (Getty Images for Paramount+)
The fallout from Quiet On Set continues today as Josh Peck, whose former Drake & Josh co-star, Drake Bell, was a primary focus of the documentary, released a statement regarding the series on Instagram. In Quiet On Set, Bell said he was sexually abused by his former dialogue coach, Bryan Peck (no relation to Josh). After the show aired, Bell asked fans to “take it a little easy” on Josh, who had become the subject of a backlash for supposedly turning a blind eye to abuse.
Josh Peck wrote on his Instagram:
I finished the Quiet On Set documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world. Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry.
Yesterday, Bell posted a video on TikTokdefending his old screen partner. He explained that he did reach out and wasn’t purposely trying to avoid questions about it.
“I’ve noticed a lot of comments on some of Josh’s TikToks and some of his posts,” Bell said. “I just want to let you guys know that this is really, you know, processing this and going through this is a really emotional time, and a lot of it’s very, very difficult. So not everything is put out to the public. But I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me and it’s been very sensitive. But he has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this. And has been really, really great. So just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him.”
Since the show aired, reactions to Quiet On Set have ranged from the “declassless” to the disturbing. Dan Schneider, the man frequently at the center of these Nickelodeon-based allegations, says it “hurts really bad” and “hurts [his] heart” that all these people were miserable working for him.