Drake Bell Reflects on Brian Peck's Troubling Letters of Support
Drake Bell opens up about the challenging task of processing the numerous letters of support sent to Brian Peck amidst sexual abuse allegations, describing the handwritten ones as particularly disturbing.
Drake Bell Read Brian Pecks Disgusting Letters of Support Multiple Times 772
Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Investigation Discovery
Drake Bell is still processing the recently revealed letters of support in his sexual abuse case against Brian Peck. "I don’t know how to put that into words but the letters were a new thing to me. I just found out about those last year,” Bell, 37, shared on the Thursday, April 11, episode of the “Luminosity” podcast.
Bell confirmed that he has read all the letters multiple times when asked. He expressed, "Oh yeah. I've read them all."
Last month, Bell spoke out about his experience as a victim of Peck's abuse in a four-part docuseries called Quiet on Set on Investigation Discovery. The series focused on the challenges of childhood stardom at Nickelodeon. In the third and fourth episodes, letters of support for Peck (not related to Bell's former Nickelodeon costar Josh Peck) were revealed to the judge.
Peck, who is 63 years old, was taken into custody in August 2003 for sexually assaulting a child whose identity was not disclosed at that time. Peck admitted to engaging in inappropriate behavior with a victim who was approximately 14 or 15 years old and to engaging in oral sex with a minor under 16 years old. As a result, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Drake Bell Read Brian Pecks Disgusting Letters of Support Multiple Times
Brian Peck Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
After being handed the unsealed court documents by directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, Bell recalled his subsequent reaction.
"They are absolutely repulsive. Some of the letters contain accusations that are simply unbelievable. The way they blame me and spread falsehoods about me is just shocking," Bell expressed on Thursday. "I am truly taken aback. Some of the claims are beyond belief."
He went on to say: "The most disturbing letters are the ones that are handwritten. Some of them even mention, 'I acknowledge the allegations, but I would still collaborate with him and hire him again. I would endorse him for any project involving children.'"
Quiet on Set previously highlighted the uncertainty surrounding how much Peck's friends were aware of the charges against him. Bell, on the other hand, remembered a significant turnout of people at the courtroom on the day of Peck's sentencing.
Bell further discussed on Thursday's podcast that Peck's confession, captured on a recorded call prior to his arrest, was presented in court. Therefore, Bell expressed doubt that others were unaware of the charges they were addressing in their letters.
Bell expressed his concern about the truth of his words and how events unfolded. He was afraid that people would still support the other side despite the evidence. This fear was confirmed when he saw the packed courtroom during the trial.
The documentary "Quiet on Set" included names like Rider Strong, Will Friedle, James Marsden, and director Thomas DeSanto. It is worth noting that some of them, including Strong, Friedle, and DeSanto, have since retracted their support for Peck.
Taran Killam and Kimmy Robertson gained attention for their roles in Drake & Josh after advocating for Peck to receive probation instead of prison time. Recently, Bell criticized individuals who initially supported Peck through letters, but later collaborated with him.
Bell revealed on the “The Sarah Fraser Show” podcast on March 22 that he discovered several people who had backed Peck went on to work on Drake & Josh. These individuals, whom Bell considered friends, held influential positions as his bosses, directors, and producers. This situation left Bell feeling betrayed and questioning his sense of security.
Bell was taken aback by the discovery that Peck's supporters had been around him without his knowledge. He expressed his surprise, saying, "I thought, 'OK, I thought the cancer had been carved out. We're better now.' And I had no idea that for four years, I was working alongside people who had supported him, and probably in the back of their mind were thinking of me in a certain way, and I thought they were my friends."
Bell later revealed publicly that Strong was the only person who had personally reached out to him. Others mentioned in the docuseries either issued a statement or chose to remain silent.
We have already contacted Marsden, 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, you can reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
