Drake Bell responds to Will Friedle’s backing of Brian Peck
Drake Bell Recalls How Brian Peck Manipulated Him
Bell recounted how Peck intentionally created a divide between him and his father, Joe Bell, who supported his son’s version of events on the ID series. This was done to allow Peck to spend more time with Bell, who had a recurring role on The Amanda Show before landing his own sitcom, Drake & Josh, in 2004.
Bell mentioned that Peck would accompany him to auditions and then insist he stay over at Peck’s place due to the late hour. On one occasion, Bell woke up on the couch (his usual sleeping spot) to find Peck sexually assaulting him.
“I was immobilized and in shock, unsure how to react,” Bell explained. “I felt trapped in the situation.”
Despite Peck’s apologies, the abuse continued, and Bell kept silent, fearing that speaking out would end his career. Even when his then-girlfriend’s mother noticed something was amiss and took him to therapy, Bell remained quiet.
It was only when Bell confided everything to his mother, leading to a police intervention. Bell provided a detailed account of the abuse to detectives and was asked to call Peck to elicit a confession while they listened in. Peck admitted to his actions during the call and was subsequently arrested on Aug. 20, 2003.