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'He Wrote The Letter Anyway': Drake Bell Slams Boy Meets World Stars Will Friedle And Rider Strong Over Brian Peck Defense
The controversy surrounding Peck's past actions have resurfaced amid Bell's forthcoming docuseries for Investigation Discovery, where he details his own alleged abuse.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse
Drake Bell has slammed former Nickelodeon child actors Will Friedle and Rider Strong for being two of the many famous actors to defend his abuser, Brian Peck, when he faced jail time for his crimes.
Bell, who is set to detail the abuse he allegedly experienced at the hands of Peck in a new docuseries, took to Instagram on Thursday to respond to a series of fans commenting in defense of the Boy Meets World co-stars.
Drake Bell slams Will Friedle and Rider Strong for supporting Brian Peck years ago
Under Nickelodeon alum Alexa Nikolas’ post criticizing Friedle, Strong, and Danielle Fishel’s recent podcast episode, one fan wrote in support of Friedle and Strong, “They were victims too.”
Another fan added, “I listened to that entire podcast and they were manipulated by him just like anyone else. They feel awful. And they were minors. This isn't black and white.”
For those unaware, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, along with Danielle Fishel, stated on a February episode of their Pod Meets World podcast that they felt manipulated by Peck in 2004 into supporting him amid allegations of child abuse.
However, Drake Bell, the star of Drake & Josh, isn't convinced by the notion that Friedle and Strong were manipulated. He expressed his dissent clearly in his Instagram comments on Thursday in response to the aforementioned fan remarks.
“Will was 27 years old and Brian told him what he did. Many people turned away and said no I won't write a letter but they did. Will was not manipulated,” Bell, 37, wrote.
He added in a separate comment that Strong was “24 years old when he wrote the letter and was told by Brian what he did,” reiterating that — like Freidle, he too “wrote the letter anyway.”
Additionally, Bell also claimed that Friedle, one of the two former Brian Peck supporters, has yet to personally apologize to him despite having an opportunity to do so.
“He worked with me on many episodes of [Ultimate Spider-Man] years later and never said a word to me about it,” the All That actor accused.
Bell then accused Friedle, aged 47, and Strong, aged 44, of discussing their participation in Peck's case with a remorseful tone during their February 19 Pod Meets World episode, suggesting it was driven by an underlying motive.
“Everyone thought the letters would be sealed forever and no one would ever see them. This is their publicist telling them how to get ahead of the story,” the iCarly alum concluded via his Instagram comment.
What allegations does Drake Bell make against Brian Peck in the highly controversial docuseries? Find out here!
Page Six suggests, based on an advance screening of the docuseries, that a former child actor, who encountered the disgraced acting coach on The Amanda Show, alleges that Peck initiated molestation when he stayed over at his house.
“I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me,” Bell recalls, speaking publicly about the allegations for the first time.
“I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I had [sic] no idea how to get out of this situation.”
He adds, “I was trapped. I had no way out.”
Eventually, however, Bell confided in his mother about the incident, prompting a police investigation. This led to Brian Peck's arrest in 2003 on 11 charges, including sodomy, lewd acts against a child, oral copulation of a person under 16, and administering oral compilations via anesthesia or controlled substances.
He was convicted a year later for only two of the above-mentioned charges, per Page Six. The rest were dismissed, courtesy of the 41 letters written in his favor.
The voice actor was sentenced to 16 months in jail, and reportedly went back to working on kids’ shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody after his release.
The documentary, Quite on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV airs Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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