Josh Peck offers support to Nickelodeon co-Star Drake Bell, underscores need for child protection

Josh Peck, who starred alongside Drake Bell in the Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh", has released a statement regarding Bell's abuse allegations revealed in the documentary "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV". Bell claims he was sexually assaulted by Brian Peck, a former acting coach for other Nickelodeon shows.

Josh wrote on Instagram: “I finished the ‘Quiet On Set’ documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world. Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry.”

Drake Bell also came to the defense of his "Drake & Josh" co-star, Josh Peck, following public criticism of Peck's silence regarding Bell's abuse allegations. In a TikTok video, Bell explained, "processing this and going through this is a really emotional time, and a lot of it is very, very difficult". He emphasised that Peck has reached out privately to offer support and sensitivity during this challenging period. Bell urged fans to "take it a little easy on him."

Dan Schiender, the creator “Drake & Josh” also released a statement saying “Watching over the past two nights was very difficult,” Schneider said. “Facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”

The documentary has brought much-needed attention to the potential for abuse on children's television sets. While the statements from Josh Peck, Drake Bell, and Dan Schneider offer varying degrees of support and accountability, they all point to the necessity for systemic change within the industry to ensure the safety and well-being of young performers.

The four-part Investigation Discovery documentary is now streaming on Max.