Bell, who came forward as the unnamed victim in the 2003 arrest and conviction for sexual abuse of Peck in ID’s ‘Quiet on Set, said he and Strong are “healing together” after he recently slammed the ‘Boy Meets World’ star for writing a letter in support during his sexual abuse case.
Drake Bell has revealed he’s spoken to Rider Strong following the latter’s past support for Brian Peck.
In the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, the Drake & Josh alum revealed that he was the previously unnamed child star who came forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Peck, a Nickelodeon dialogue coach, in 2003.
Strong, meanwhile, was one among the handful of actors who wrote letters of support for Peck during his sexual abuse case.
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Drake Bell Opens Up About Josh Peck’s Support After Quiet on Set Release
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On Friday, Bell took to X, formerly Twitter, to share that he and Strong had a great conversation together in the wake of the Quiet on Set series and two decades after Peck’s conviction.
“I just had the most amazing conversation with @RiderStrong we are all healing together,” he wrote of the Boy Meets World star. “I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him.”
Following the release of Quiet on Set last month, Bell called out Strong in a comment on Instagram, writing, “RIDER WAS 24 years old when he wrote the letter and was told by Brian what he did. He wrote the letter anyway.”
His comment has since been removed.
I just had the most amazing conversation with @RiderStrong we are all healing together. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him.
— DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) April 5, 2024
@DrakeBell
In the wake of the 2003 sexual abuse case against him, Peck pleaded no contest to two charges of child sexual abuse and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Bell was at Peck’s hearing, where he was shocked to discover the courtroom filled with Peck’s supporters, including a lot of famous faces. Additionally, there were 41 letters of support written to the judge.
In addition to Strong and his Boy Meets World costar Will Friedle, other letters came from James Marsden, Taran Killam, Growing Pains parents Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns, Drake & Josh director Rich Correll, and stage manager Beth Correll, per TMZ.
Bell recalled on Quiet on Set about how he took the stand at Peck’s hearing, though he said he had “no reason” to address Peck himself. Instead, he turned his attention to all of Peck’s supporters.
“I looked at all of them and I just said, ‘How dare you?’ I said, ‘You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes and that’s what I will remember.'”
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However, before Quiet on Set was released, Strong, Friedle and their Boy Meets World costar, Danielle Fishel, opened up about working with Peck, recalling their alleged experiences with the dialogue coach on a February episode of their podcast, Pod Meets World.
Strong and Freidle voiced their regret for writing letters of support for Peck, claiming that they didn’t know the “whole story.”
“We’re sitting in that courtroom on the wrong side of everything … The victim’s mother turned and said, ‘Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn’t change what you did to my kid,'” Freidle said, per Variety. “I just sat there wanting to die. It was like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ It was horrifying all the way around.”
“We weren’t told the whole story, but it doesn’t change the fact that we did it,” he added. “I still can’t get the words out to describe all of the things that I’m feeling inside of myself.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, get help. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE [4673]) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in need.
