Devon Werkheiser, former Nickelodeon star, issues apology to Drake Bell for joke
Drake Bell Recounts How Brian Peck Manipulated Him
Bell shared how Peck deliberately drove a wedge between him and his father, Joe Bell, who also appears in the ID series and supports his son’s story. This allowed Peck to spend more time with the young actor, who had a recurring role on The Amanda Show before starring in his own sitcom, Drake & Josh, in 2004.
Peck would accompany Bell to auditions and convince him to sleep over, claiming it was too late to drive home. One night, Bell woke up on the couch where he always slept, to find Peck sexually assaulting him.
“I was paralyzed with shock and had no idea how to react,” Bell recalled. “I felt trapped in the situation.”
Despite Peck’s apologies, the abuse continued, and Bell kept silent, fearing his career would be ruined if he spoke up. Not even the intervention of his then-girlfriend’s mother, who noticed something was wrong and took him to therapy, prompted Bell to reveal the truth.
Eventually, Bell confided in his mother, who immediately contacted the authorities. Bell gave a detailed report of the abuse to detectives, then called Peck under their supervision, leading to a full confession by Peck and his subsequent arrest on August 20, 2003.