Actor Drake Bell Alleges ‘Extensive’ Sexual Abuse By Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach Brian Peck

Actor Drake Bell is breaking his silence for the first time, addressing the “extensive” and “brutal” sexual abuse he alleges to have suffered at the hands of a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach.

Bell, one of the stars of the beloved series Drake & Josh alleges that he was subject to sexual abuse by Brian Peck while working on All That and The Amanda Show during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Trigger Warning: This story discusses abuse, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

In the third instalment of the Investigation Discovery series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Bell claims that his dialogue coach, Brian Peck, sexually assaulted him when he was 15 years old.

The former Nickelodeon star begins the episode by stating, “My name is Drake Bell, and I came here today to tell my story.”

“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes; I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation,” he said.

Bell also stated that Peck apologised afterward and assured him it wouldn’t occur again.

However, the abuse worsened over time.

Drake Bell Reveals Peck’s Manipulative Tactics 

Bell described how Peck had convinced his mother and other adults to always bring him back to Brian’s house whenever he had an audition or needed to practice dialogue. 

 “I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house and it just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out,” said Bell. 

 “The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal. I really don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera. Why don’t you do this: Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and that will answer your question. It was not a one-time thing.”

Bell expressed his fear of speaking out back then and concern that it could jeopardise his acting career due to Peck’s influential connections in the industry. It wasn’t until 2003, when his girlfriend’s mother noticed something amiss, that he found the courage to confide in his own mother about the abuse.

Brian Peck’s Charges

Brian Peck was arrested with 11 charges in 2003. The charges included: lewd acts with a child; oral copulation with a minor under 16; attempted sodomy of a person under 16; sexual penetration by a foreign object; oral copulation by anaesthesia or controlled substance. 

In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to two of the 11 charges, including oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison and mandated to register as a sex offender. 

Following his release from prison, Peck secured a position at Disney Channel for The Suite Life Of Zach & Cody, but was later fired by the network after his background came to light, according to reports from Variety. 

Court documents revealed by the Daily Mail indicate that while Peck is barred from direct contact with children, he is not restricted from “being part of productions in which children are acting.”  

Bell’s Battle with Sobriety

Bell has struggled with maintaining sobriety, experiencing periods of abstinence followed by relapses due to overwhelming pressure and inner turmoil. He recounted losing his house during bankruptcy proceedings and subsequently receiving a DUI.  

“There was definitely a slow decline in my mental health, sobriety, DUIs, behaviours that were happening because I was lost”, he told Variety Magazine.