The “Dark Side” of Nickelodeon Part Two: Drake Bell

Television

***WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DISTURBING CONTENT***

Click here to see part one of my look at Quiet on Set and child abuse at Nickelodeon.

Now, enter Brian Peck, dialogue coach and infamous “Pickle Boy.”

All 90s kids will recall the funny little man holding the giant platter of pickles, with many jokes and even goofy (and quite lewd when looking back) skits with special celebrity guests. He’s also known for working with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio on the show Growing Pains (1985-1992). Peck would often host parties at his house, and many of the kids were enthralled with full rooms dedicated to various films, such as King Kong. 

During one such occasion, a cast member of All That noticed a painting in one of the rooms that had nothing whatsoever to do with the theme. This painting depicted a clown holding balloons. When asked about it, Peck immediately picked it up, then flipped it over to reveal a note of dedication from notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy. It was also discovered that Peck and Gacy corresponded, becoming pen pals while the latter was rotting in prison. 

When on set, Peck would hang around Drake Bell, co-star of The Amanda Show, and the two bonded over their similar interests in Old Hollywood. He would show too much “affection” towards the then-minor through actions such as attempting to help dress the boy or placing a hand on his waist. Joe Bell, Drake’s father, who was his son’s manager at the time, noticed these little moments and grew concerned. After expressing this to other crew members, he was dismissed and called “homophobic” due to the fact that Peck is a gay man. Peck would also drive miles to see young Bell perform with his band at festivals and other gigs but was always under the watchful eye of Joe. There was also an incident involving birthday cards given to Drake from Peck that included highly inappropriate adult content. 

A few months passed, and Peck began spreading falsehoods about Drake’s father “taking all the money for himself” and used Drake’s parents’ divorce to drive a wedge between father and son further. Unfortunately, this manipulation succeeded, and Joe Bell stepped down as his son’s manager, but under one condition: keep Drake away from Peck. 

This was never heeded, and at the age of fifteen, Drake was sexually assaulted by Peck at the latter’s home. 

After this horrific, vile incident, Drake spent most of his time at his then-girlfriend’s house, which he has stated was “the place I felt safest,” to remove himself from Peck. Peck would call Drake’s cell phone non-stop and, when Drake wouldn’t answer, call the girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend’s mother intervened, taking Drake aside to inquire what was going on. He was vague about the details, stating, “Things are getting weird,” and that he was “trying to distance himself from Brian.” Afterward, his girlfriend’s mother called Drake’s mother and set up an appointment with a therapist. 

In 2003, during the production of Drake & Josh, Peck tried to convince Dan Schneider to allow him to be the dad on the show. Soon after, while on the phone with his mother, Drake exploded and told her everything that happened to him. The police were called immediately, and while in their presence, Drake was able to get Peck to confess his crimes on a recorded call. 

Brian Peck was arrested for committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child of fourteen/fifteen years of age. 

A year passed, and in October 2004, Peck was sentenced. On the day of the sentencing, to Drake’s shock, Peck’s side of the courtroom was packed, while only his mother and brother were on his side. When Drake gave his statement, he refused to look at his abuser but addressed the full side of the courtroom. 

“You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person, and I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes. And that’s what I’ll remember.” 

Peck pleaded no contest to two of the counts of child sexual abuse. He was sentenced to only sixteen months in prison and ordered by the judge to register as a sex offender. He received forty-one letters of support from very well-known actors, directors, and producers. Neither Dan Schneider nor any executives at Nickelodeon wrote a letter. All the letters sounded similar in language, stating that “there could only have been pressure and temptations” for Brian to have committed these acts, heavily implying that the fault lay on Drake. For most of his teen and adult life, Drake struggled with substance abuse due to what happened, leading to DUIs, erratic behavior, and public feuds with fellow stars. He even went missing for a time after sending worrisome messages to his family, though he was, thankfully, found soon after. 

Following all this, Rich Correll, director of the show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, hired Peck on the crew. 

All this would keep any sane person from ever wishing to expose their child to such a vile world as Hollywood. Over the decades, many child actors have become mere shadows of themselves, abusing any and all substances. Watching these kids’ downfall now, as adults, is both disturbing and heartbreaking. For their suffering, they paid the price of losing their innocence. Another example of this would be the actress and now transgender male Ellen “Elliot” Page. Once a very darling, attractive young girl, she began the descent into the cult of transgenderism, and in a recent interview, claimed to have heard voices in her head demanding she transition before she decided to. Page has also opened up to being groomed and abused sexually by multiple people in Hollywood as a minor.

These unspeakable horrors should have the brightest light shone upon them, to expose the ugliness and make it so these kids can confide in someone they trust to help them out of the dark, and to help heal their souls. 

For who else will stand up and defend these kids?

**If you wish to watch the full documentary, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, you can do so on HBO Max or watch Drew Hernandez’s video for free.**