Drake Bell claims that his former Drake & Josh co-star, Josh Peck, “knew” that he was sexually assaulted. During his Tuesday, April 2, appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat Podcast,” the 37-year-old musician pointed out that Josh, 37, “saw and knew what was going on” with Bell in the early 2000s.
“Josh worked on The Amanda Show, and so, he saw and knew what was going on,” Drake told podcast host Amanda Hirsh. “But I appreciate that he reached out to me privately and didn’t go straight to the media because he was there with me and saw what I was going through.”
Drake then clarified that Josh most likely didn’t know the “specifics” of Bell’s assault and added that the How I Met Your Father alum “learned so much” from Drake’s appearance on Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
“I don’t think [Josh] knew specifics, but there were people who worked on the show that knew who it was,” Bell said, referring to himself being the unnamed minor in the assault case. “He just knew how sensitive this was for me and after watching the documentary, he learned so much that I had gone through, and I think he was just so sensitive and made sure to reach out to me privately rather than just going straight to social media.”
In 1999, Drake and Josh landed their roles on The Amanda Show. At the time, Drake met then-Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck (no relation to Josh, according to multiple outlets). In Quiet on Set, Drake recounted how Brian had involved himself in his life and career and sexually assaulted him multiple times in the early 2000s. Drake eventually informed his mother, and the “I Found a Way” artist reported it to the police.
In 2004, Brian pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 in addition to a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. Drake was not identified as the victim at the time when the case went public. Brian spent 16 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender. However, he was hired to work on children’s shows following his release from prison, including the Disney Channel’s Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
“I think Brian was able to pull the wool over a lot of people’s eyes and paint a picture that was a far cry from reality,” Drake added in his “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast interview.
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Last month, Drake publicly revealed that Brian had sexually assaulted him as a teenager in Quiet on Set. He then publicly revealed via TikTok that Josh had “reached out” to him about his documentary appearance. Nickelodeon responded to Drake’s revelation in a statement obtained by Hollywood Life.
“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 network said in its statement.
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.