Drake Bell says former costar Josh Peck reached out privately about sexual abuse: 'Take it a little easy on him'

Drake Bell is defending his Drake & Josh costar Josh Peck for not commenting publicly about the explosive new documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, in which Bell revealed he was molested as a teen.

In a TikTok video posted Wednesday, Bell stood up for Peck against fans who speculated that his former costar was being unsupportive of him after he detailed the abuse he survived from a Nickelodeon dialogue coach when he was 15. “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 and I just want to let you guys know that this is really, you know … processing this and going through this is a really emotional time, and a lot of it’s very, very difficult. So not everything is put out to the public.”

Bell went on to explain that Peck, who most recently appeared in Oppenheimer, had discussed the matter with him privately. “I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive,” he said. “He has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this, and has been really, really great.”

Bell concluded his remarks with a call to be less harsh on Peck. “So just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him.”

Reps for Peck did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

In Investigation Discovery's Quiet on Set, Bell went public for the first time about being the anonymous teen victim who reported being sexually abused by Amanda Show dialogue coach Brian Peck. Josh Peck, who has no relation to the convicted child molester, was not involved in the docuseries. 

Drake & Josh, created and executive produced by Dan Schneider, aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons, beginning in 2004, which was the same year Brian Peck was convicted.

Last week, Bell called out Boy Meets World actors Rider Strong and Will Friedle for writing letters of support for his abuser during the sentencing hearing.

If you or someone you know has been 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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• Dan Schneider responds to Quiet on Set documentary allegations: 'There's definitely things that I would do differently'
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• Pedophiles on set, sexism in the writers' room: Everything said about Nickelodeon on Quiet on Set