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It was must-see TV for millions of ’90s kids, but behind the scenes of producer Dan Schneider’s hit Nickelodeon shows were allegations of toxic workplace conditions.
As part of the series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” “Drake & Josh” star Drake Bell shared publicly for the first time his story of being a victim of sexual abuse by his former dialect coach Brian Peck.
Now, fellow Nickelodeon alum Bryan Hearne and Giovonnie Samuels are speaking to “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi about the moment they found out Drake was assaulted.
The stars are also part of “Quiet on Set” and said they learned about Bell watching the docuseries.
Samuels said, “We didn’t find out about Drake… until ‘Quiet on Set.’”
Hearne added, “Finding out watching ‘Quiet on Set’… immediately brought to tears.”
Giovannie added, “Yeah, we both cried,” saying, “We called each other and were both like, ‘Are you okay? Did you see who it is?’ It was very gut wrenching.”
Drake speaks out in the series about how Peck abused him when he was 15 years old. The actor eventually reported him to the police. At the time, Bell was an unnamed minor in the case.
In August 2003, Peck pleaded no contest to “performing a lewd act with a victim around 14 or 15 years old and to oral copulation with a child under 16 years old.” He was sentenced to 16 months behind bars.
Another crew member, Jason Handy, was convicted in 2004 for lewd acts against underage girls.
Samuels told Mona, “Jason Handy was a PA and I would have Bible study with him. So to have that kind of access and not know is terrifying. Who else did he touch? Why did this happen?”
Bryan also shared a time that things didn’t feel right, saying, “If you were a boy on a Nickelodeon set at least twice you would have to be in a leotard. You do feel uncomfortable.”
Nickelodeon has released this statement regarding Drake, “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
In regard to other alleged behaviors included on “Quiet on Set,” Nickelodeon said, “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” airs March 17 and 18 on ID.