Drake Bell Discovers Connections to 'Drake and Josh' Team After Trial

Drake Bell Didnt Know He Worked With Brian Peck Supporters

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Drake Bell was surprised to discover who wrote letters of support for Brian Peck after appearing on Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set docuseries. He was shocked to see how many people had worked with Peck after his sexual abuse trial.

On the Friday, March 22 episode of “The Sarah Fraser Show” podcast, Bell, 37, shared his reaction. He mentioned that he only learned about the support later on. He was taken aback to find out that several people who supported Peck went on to work on Drake & Josh, a show Bell was a part of. Bell expressed his surprise at realizing that he had worked with these individuals every day and had considered them his friends.

Bell recently spoke out about the abuse he suffered from Peck in a two-part documentary. The documentary also revealed letters of support for Peck (not to be confused with his former Nickelodeon costar Josh Peck) that were sent to the judge.

In the documentary, Bell shared that the individuals who wrote the letters were people in powerful positions, such as his bosses, directors, and producers. He had believed he was in a safe environment, thinking that the issue had been resolved. However, to his surprise, he later discovered that he had been working alongside individuals who supported Peck for four years. This realization made him question the true intentions of those he considered friends.

In August 2003, Peck, who was 63 at the time, was arrested for sexually abusing a child whose identity was not disclosed. He admitted to engaging in inappropriate behavior with a victim who was around 14 or 15 years old. Peck also confessed to oral copulation with a child under 16 years old. As a result, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Drake Bell Didnt Know He Worked With Brian Peck Supporters

The directors of Quiet on Set, Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, were successful in obtaining letters of support for the case, as seen in the third and fourth parts of the documentary. Some of the notable names and letters included Rider Strong, Will Friedle, James Marsden, and director Thomas DeSanto. (It is worth noting that Strong, Friedle, and DeSanto have since retracted their support for Peck.)

Taran Killam and Kimmy Robertson gained attention for their appearance on Drake & Josh when they requested the judge to give Peck probation instead of prison time.

According to Business Insider journalist Kate Taylor, it was uncertain how much Peck's friends were aware of the charges against him. Bell mentioned on a podcast that some individuals who wrote letters were present in the courtroom and thus knew his identity and the charges against Peck.

Bell expressed disbelief at how some people could support Peck after he confessed to molesting a minor. He questioned how anyone could accept Peck's explanation and justify his actions.

Drake Bell Didnt Know He Worked With Brian Peck Supporters

Kimmy Robertson, known for her role in Peck’s 1990 movie The Willies, wrote a letter to the judge, as seen in the docuseries. In the letter, she expressed her belief that Brian was under immense pressure and was pushed to his limit before giving in. Despite the situation, Robertson has maintained a connection with the dialogue coach, as evidenced by her posting photos with him as recently as 2021.

Killam, 41, on the other hand, described Peck’s arrest as “completely out of character.”

“When I heard about Brian getting arrested, I was truly surprised. Brian is the least likely person I would think would be involved in criminal activities. My initial reaction was, ‘This must be a misunderstanding.’ Many of our friends had similar reactions,” he mentioned in his letter. “I have witnessed the impact of this situation on Brian, and I can say with certainty that he feels remorseful for any errors and that this is not something that would ever occur again.”

Drake Bell Didnt Know He Worked With Brian Peck Supporters

Taran Killam Phillip Faraone/WireImage

Killam concluded that in every set he has worked on, everyone knows Brian and holds him in high regard. He is truly one of the most well-liked and respected individuals in the industry.

According to Bell, he has not come across anyone who has publicly or privately supported Peck. He mentioned on Friday that he has not received any apologies or expressions of regret from those who wrote letters or were involved in endorsing Peck.

We had already contacted Robertson and Killam for their comments, as well as the other actors who wrote letters in the documentary.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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