Former child star Drake Bell has slammed Nickelodeon’s responses to the “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” documentary, calling the network’s apology “pretty empty.”
“There’s a very well-tailored response saying, ‘Learning about his trauma,’ because they couldn’t say that they didn’t know about this or what had happened, or anything,” Bell, 37, said during an appearance on the “The Sarah Fraser Show” podcast. “So I think that was a really well-tailored response by probably some big attorney in Hollywood.”
“I find it pretty empty, their responses, because, I mean, they still show our shows, they still put our shows on,” the “Drake and Josh” alum fumed.
“And I have to pay for my own therapy, I have to figure out what — I mean if there was anything, if there was any truth behind them actually caring, there would be something more than quotes on a page by obviously a legal representative telling them exactly how to tailor a response.”
Bell’s statement comes a mere week after the docuseries aired and caused massive ripples online.
Shortly after Bell’s episode aired, the children’s TV network issued what they seemed to think was a sincere apology to the entertainer.
“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 a statement obtained by Variety.
“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,” it continued.
“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.”
In the Investigation Discovery docuseries — which can be streamed on Max — Bell revealed that he had been sexually assaulted by acting coach Brian Peck while staying at his house.
“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 recalled in his harrowing interview. “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.”
According to the actor, no one at the time believed him except for his father who — when he attempted to raise the issue with studio executives — was told he was being “homophobic” due to the fact that Peck, now 62, was gay.
“I was just trapped. I had no way out,” Bell recalls, adding that the abuse became “extensive” and “pretty brutal.”
Bell alleges that the abuse is what started him down a self-destructive road.
In May 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to two charges of sexual abuse. He was later sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.
The tell-all doc also details the incredibly toxic work environment that Nickelodeon exec Dan Schneider promoted.
Schneider — who worked on shows such as “The Amanda Show,” “All That” and “iCarly” — was accused of sexualizing child stars such as Ariana Grande and Jamie Lynn Spears.
Last week, the embattled TV exec broke his silence and issued a full apology in a video posted online.
“Dan is apologizing for his behavior. He never ever should have asked for massages. Period. He crossed the line in the writer’s room with the jokes that he told and the pranks that he pulled,” a spokesperson for Schneider said in notes accompanying the video.
“They were inappropriate and never should have happened. Some of the On Air Dare sketches went too far,” the apology continued. “Dan wishes they hadn’t done those and he’s truly sorry to the young actors who weren’t comfortable. And all around he is sorry for how he treated people.”
“He was a jerk at times and if he could do it again he would have been a better boss and a better person.”
According to Schnider, 58, some questionable scenes should be cut from future airings.
“Dan absolutely never intended for any of those jokes that are now being seen as sexualized content to be anything other than funny for kids,” his spokesperson said. “If some of those jokes are now not seen the same way anymore then they absolutely should be cut and he fully supports that.”
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