Drake Bell Breaks Silence in First Interview After ‘Quiet On Set’ Documentary Release
In his first media appearance since HBO released the revealing documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Drake Bell shared his thoughts on the aftermath, particularly criticizing Nickelodeon’s handling of the situation.
During his interview on The Sarah Fraser Show podcast, Bell expressed his dissatisfaction with how Nickelodeon has reacted to his traumatic experiences highlighted in the documentary, specifically his sexual abuse as a teenager by The Amanda Show dialogue coach Brian Peck. “There’s a very well-tailored response saying, ‘Learning about his trauma,’ because they couldn’t say that they didn’t know about this or what had happened, or anything,” Bell remarked. “So I think that was a really well-tailored response by probably some big attorney in Hollywood.”
Bell further commented on the network’s response, feeling it lacked sincerity and action. “I find it pretty empty, their responses, because, I mean, they still show our shows, they still put our shows on,” he said. “And I have to pay for my own therapy, I have to figure out what — I mean if there was anything, if there was any truth behind them actually caring, there would be something more than quotes on a page by obviously a legal representative telling them exactly how to tailor a response.”
The decision to participate in Quiet on Set came after Bell felt a genuine connection with the documentary’s producers, contrasting with a negative experience he had when approached by a different documentary team. “When I declined, the response I got was unbelievable,” he shared about the other project. “In the email, they said that people like me were the problem, and this is why things aren’t gonna change in the industry because people like you won’t speak out and won’t come forward. It was just all this shaming of me not wanting to be a part of their documentary.”
Following his interview with the Quiet on Set team, Bell checked himself into rehab to address his personal issues and trauma. “I just felt really comfortable in that interview, but I was going through so much in my personal life and after that interview I ended up checking myself into rehab,” he explained. “We were going through a lot of trauma therapy, a lot of group therapy, a lot of one-on-one therapy — your entire day was filled with working through and processing this with a clear mind, and unearthing all of these things that I hadn’t faced head-on, or if I had tried to, it was too painful.”
Bell also touched on the difficult decision to involve his father in the documentary, aiming to provide a healing opportunity. “My dad is a very emotional guy, and he has such a big heart. And I was very cautious about involving him,” he said. “I’m sure that my dad puts a lot of blame on himself, you know? And I thought that this might be an opportunity for him to realize that, you know, that it’s one person’s fault.”
Following the documentary’s release, Nickelodeon stated, “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,”. This was in addition to a previous statement affirming their commitment to a safe and professional workplace.
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