Drake Bell Reacts to Cryptic Josh Peck Message

Drake Bell has reacted to a post aimed at his former Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck, amid criticism over his public silence regarding recent bombshell revelations.

Bell, whose Nickelodeon show with Peck aired between 2004 and 2007, is one of a number of former child stars who spoke out in the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which debuted on the night of March 17.

In the Investigation Discovery show, which probed the working culture behind the scenes at Nickelodeon in the 1990s and early 2000s, Bell spoke publicly for the first time about being repeatedly molested by his dialogue coach Brian Peck (to whom Josh Peck is not related) when he was 15.

In 2004, Brian Peck pleaded no contest to charges of oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old. Peck spent 16 months behind bars for his offenses. He was also legally required to register as a sex offender. At the time of Brian Peck's conviction, Bell was not publicly identified as a victim.

Responding to Bell's disclosure, Nickelodeon told Newsweek in a 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."

While Bell received a flood of public support, comments were made about the fact that his onetime co-star Josh Peck had not issued a statement regarding the revelation.

A comment shared on X, formerly Twitter, by a Quiet on Set viewer read: "Josh Peck being silent during this doesn't sit well for me." The comment is one of a number that Bell has liked on X.

Josh Peck has faced further criticism on his TikTok account, where on March 17 he posted a video that showed him mouthing the words to viral audio.

The actor lip-synched to the audio: "If I haven't talked to you since 2023, take that as a f****** sign that you don't exist to me anymore."

Bell famously spoke out about being excluded from Josh Peck's 2017 wedding. TikTok users questioned the timing of Josh Peck's video, given the airing of Quiet on Set.

On Wednesday, Bell shared a TikTok video of his own, in which he asked fans to "take it a little easy" on Josh Peck, as he revealed that his erstwhile co-star had contacted him.

"I just want to clear something up," Bell said in the video. "I've noticed a lot of comments on some of Josh's TikToks and some of his posts. I just want to let you guys know that.. processing this and going through this is a really emotional time. A lot of it's very, very difficult, so not everything is put out to the public.

"But I just wanted to let you guys know that [Josh] has reached out to me and it's been very sensitive... He has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this and he's been really, really great."

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Peck via email for comment.

Quiet on Set has sparked online discussion around the working culture at Nickelodeon. Former child stars, as well as adult staffers, shared allegations against former producer Dan Schneider, who created and executive produced a plethora of hugely popular shows, including Zoey 101, iCarly, Drake & Josh, The Amanda Show, and Victorious.

Schneider departed Nickelodeon in 2018 under a cloud of scandal following an investigation by the network's parent company ViacomCBS into allegations of sexual misconduct. While the investigation found no evidence of sexual misconduct, Schneider was found to have been verbally abusive on set.

He has since been accused of abuse and inappropriate behavior on set during his time with the children's channel, including "hyper-sexual practices"—such as revealing clothes for and suggestive scenes for teen actresses—sexism, racism and creating a hostile work environment.

When contacted for comment, a representative of Schneider directed Newsweek to a video statement in which he apologized for some of the allegations leveled against him in Quiet on Set.

"I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology," Schneider said. "When I watched the show... I could see the hurt in some people's eyes."

Reacting to the documentary, Nickelodeon told Newsweek in a statement: "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct.

"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."