Drake Bell Asks Fans to 'Take it a Little Easy' on Josh Peck and Reveals He 'Reached Out' amid Abuse Allegations
Earlier this month, Bell came forward about the sexual abuse he suffered as a teen by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck, who was eventually convicted in 2004
Drake Bell is speaking out in defense of Josh Peck amid his abuse allegations.
In a video posted to TikTok on Wednesday, Bell addressed his followers and revealed that his former Drake and Josh costar had contacted him in response to his recent forthcomings about suffering sexual abuse as a child actor at the hands of a Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck (to whom Josh has no relation).
“Processing this and going through this is a really emotional time,” the "Found a Way" singer, 37, explained in the video. “A lot of it is very difficult so not everything is put out to the public. But I just wanted to let you guys know that [Josh] has reached out to me and it’s been very sensitive."
"But he has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this and he’s been really great,” he added.
Related: Drake Bell Says He Was Sexually Abused at Age 15 By Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach
Bell also referenced Josh's recent TikTok videos and asked fans to "take it a little easy" on him in the comments section.
On Monday, the How I Met Your Father alum received backlash from fans after posting a video to the platform where he mouthed the words to a viral sound. Josh, 37, could be seen lip-syncing the words, "If I haven’t talked to you since 2023, take that as a f–--king sign that you don’t exist to me anymore.”
Users quickly flooded the comments and claimed that the timing of Josh's post was "odd" and accused him of remaining silent after his former costar came forward about the alleged abuse he suffered.
Related: Everything Nickelodeon Stars Have Said About the Alleged 'Toxic Environment' on Set
Earlier this month, Bell came forward as a survivor of sexual abuse in Investigation Discovery's new series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The former child star opened up about the abuse he endured from the dialogue coach, which occurred over a six-month period when he was 15.
“The clip reveals that former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell will be sharing publicly, for the first time, the story of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach who was convicted in 2004 for his crimes against Drake and ordered to register as a sex offender,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a press release shared with PEOPLE.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In 2004, in connection with Bell's case, Brian pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a teenager. Bell's identity as the victim was not made public as he was a minor at the time. Brian spent 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.