Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
What Did Brian Peck Do? Inside Abuse Allegations Detailed in ‘Quiet on Set’ Documentary
Several former child stars are coming forward about their experiences with Brian Peck in the Investigation Discovery series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. What did Peck do and which celebrities have made allegations against him?
What Did Brian Peck Do?
Peck was arrested in August 2003 on 11 charges after he was accused of sexually abusing an unnamed child. He 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 in May 2004. Peck was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison, and he was also ordered to register as a sex offender in October 2004.
Peck has denied the allegations made against him.
Which Celebrities Accused Brian Peck of Abuse?
While several former child stars are expected to speak out against Peck in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, one actor that is finally ready to share his story is Drake Bell. The Drake & Josh alum claimed in the documentary that he was abused when Peck was working as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show.
Bell remained quiet for more than two decades before he claimed to be the 15-year-old involved in the lawsuit in the documentary.
“You know anytime I had an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house,” Drake said, per People. “And it just got worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal.”
After the documentary was announced, Boy Meets World alums Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle discussed working with Peck during season 5 of their show.
Strong and Friedle recalled growing close to Peck when he appeared on two episodes of the show. “I was working a lot after Boy Meets World, and this guy had so ingrained himself into my life, I took him to three shows after Boy Meets World,” Friedle said during a February 2024 episode of their “Pod Meets World” podcast. “This was the type of thing where the person he presented was this great, funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with.”
The podcast cohosts claimed that Peck used manipulation tactics to persuade them of his innocence when the accusations were made against him in 2003. They claimed that Peck reframed the situation to make him look like the real victim, adding that they faced backlash from the victim’s families for believing Peck. “My instinct initially was, ‘My friend, this can’t be. It’s gotta be the other person’s fault,’” Friedle said. “The story makes complete sense the way that he’s saying it.”
What Is ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’ About?
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will shed light on an allegedly “insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew” on set of Dan Schneider’s popular Nickelodeon shows, according to a press release.
While Bell will open up about his alleged experience with Peck, other participants who will be featured in the documentary claimed that “working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship.”
In addition to Bell, the documentary will also feature All That alums Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne and Katrina Johnson, Zoey 101 star Alexa Nikolas, director Virgil Fabian, and The Amanda Show writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton.
As Quiet on Set brought alleged alarming behavior to the headlines, Nickelodeon told In Touch in a statement about 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.”
As for the accusations as a whole, the network continued, “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.”
When Does ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’ Premiere?
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will premiere on ID Sunday, March 17, at 9 p.m. ET.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.
