Nickelodeon has issued a response after former child star Drake Bell came forward in the upcoming documentary Quiet on Set about the sexual abuse he endured while working with the network as a teen.
Bell, who starred on The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, identified himself in the documentary as the unnamed minor whom dialogue coach Brian Peck was charged with assaulting in 2003. The abuse occurred during Bell’s time working on The Amanda Show between 1999 and 2002.
The children’s network addressed the situation with the following statement: “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,” per Deadline.
In another statement, the network also maintained its “commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment.”
“Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience,” the statement reads, per Deadline.
The responses come after Bell candidly spoke about how Peck manipulated those around him so that he became a trusted adult in Bell’s life. Fellow Nickelodeon star Kyle Sullivan also corroborated Bell’s description of the dialogue coach, saying “all the parents loved” and “trusted” Peck.
Bell described the assault he suffered in a clip from the upcoming doc, saying he would often stay over Peck’s house and woke up one morning to the Nickelodeon employee assaulting him.
“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,” Bell said. “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 continued, “He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, 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.”
Bell added that the abuse “was extensive and it got pretty brutal.”
“Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it,” he said.
Peck spent 16 months in prison after he pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a minor and to oral copulation with a minor in 2004. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Part One of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV premieres on ID March 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Part Two premieres March 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.