Actor Drake Bell Was Sexually Assaulted by Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach: ‘It Was Extensive and Brutal’

Brian Peck’s sexual abuse occurred when Drake Bell was a 15-year-old cast member on The Amanda Show.

For the first time, Drake Bell, the former star of Nickelodeon Drake and Josh, has spoken publicly about being repeatedly abused as a child by dialogue coach Brian Peck.

The announcement comes as Bell appears in Investigation Discovery’s upcoming four-part documentaries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Children’s Televisionwhich exposes the toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most famous children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, many of which were produced by Dan Schneider.

“Brian and I became very close because we had a lot of the same interests, which in retrospect I think was probably a little calculated,” Bell, now 37, says in the docuseries, which airs over two nights on ID from 9 “ Premiering March 17th and 18th from 5:00pm to 11:00pm ET/PT.

Bell began acting at the age of 5 while his parents were divorcing. After appearing mostly in commercials and small television roles, he landed an acting job at Nickelodeon The Amanda Show in 1999. The next year, on the first day of the show’s second season, Bell met Brian Peck, a dialogue coach, who befriended him and invited him to his home for acting lessons.

Related: ID Docuseries delves into the alleged ‘toxic environment’ of children’s TV shows under Dan Schneider

After a while, Bell’s father, Joe Bell, expressed concerns about the production, saying he felt uncomfortable with Peck, who also appeared on screen as “Pickle Boy,” constantly being around his son. Joe still didn’t like the relationship between Peck and his son, and when he brought it up again, he claimed he had been “segregated” on set and had become “withdrawn.”

Peck later became Bell’s manager, which caused a rift between Bell and his father. Peck often accompanied Bell to acting auditions in Los Angeles, which was at least an hour away from where Bell lived with his mother. Because of the distance, Bell often stayed overnight at Peck’s, but one night everything changed.

To learn more about the allegedly toxic environment on the set of Nickelodeon shows, subscribe to PEOPLE now or pick up this week’s issue on newsstands Friday.

“I was sleeping on the couch where I normally sleep and when I woke up I saw him… I opened my eyes and woke up and he… he sexually assaulted me,” says Bell, who was 15 at the time. “And I froze, completely shocked and having no idea what to do or how to react.”

“You know, every time I had an audition or had to work on dialogue or something, I somehow ended up back with Brian,” Bell continues. “And it just kept getting worse and worse and worse and worse and I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and became quite brutal.”

Bell says the abuse happened more than once – and he has never forgotten what happened to him.

Related: Drake Bell says he was sexually abused by a Nickelodeon dialogue coach at age 15

“I often look back on that time and wonder how on earth I survived,” he says. “I remember all the abusive events but everything beyond that is very blurry to me, which is a shame because I experienced a lot of big things in my life and career during that time. But it was so overshadowed and ruined by what I was dealing with inside that it was really difficult for me.”

In 2004, in connection with the Bell case, Peck pleaded no contest to the charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 years of age and to the charge of committing a lewd act with a 14 or 15 year old. Bell’s identity as the victim has not been released at this time. Peck spent 16 months in prison and was required to register as a sex offender.

Related: Everything Nickelodeon Stars Said About the Alleged ‘Toxic Environment’ on Set

Bell says in the docuseries that Schneider didn’t know he was Peck’s victim until Bell confided in him. Schneider — who left the station in 2018 — offered to support him in any way he could, Bell says.

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Shaken by what he had been through, Bell said he began drinking heavily and taking drugs. (In 2021, Bell pleaded guilty to two counts stemming from online conduct with an underage fan and was sentenced to two years probation and community service.)

Related: A Timeline of Drake Bell’s Career and Controversies

In a statement about it PeopleNickelodeon says: “After Drake Bell revealed his identity as a plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are shocked and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength it took to come forward .”

Bell’s story is one of many featured in the docuseries, which features several interviews with former cast, writers and crew members from popular teen series such as: B. contains All that, The Amanda Show And Zoey 101.

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Children’s TelevisionPremiering two nights on ID from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT on March 17th and 18th.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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Read the original article on People.