Drake Bell has called out cast members of “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” for appearing to mock Nickelodeon child stars who have come forward about alleged abuse they experienced with the network.
In the four-part docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” child actors and members of production alleged they experienced abuse, sexism, racism, inappropriate friendships between adults and children and more while working at Nickelodeon. Bell was among the actors who spoke out and identified himself as the sexual abuse victim of former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
Devon Werkheiser, Lindsay Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee, who were child stars on Nickelodeon’s “Ned’s Declassified” from 2004 to 2007 and co-host a podcast by the same name, appeared in a TikTok live video on Monday where they laughed about the content in the docuseries.
“Daniel, we told you never to speak about that. Get back in your hole, Daniel, and give me your holes,” Werkheiser said in a jovial tone to Lee offscreen in a video reposted by Bell. “Sorry, we shouldn’t joke about this. We really shouldn’t. Our set was not like that.”
He added: “No, it’s awful. The Drake Bell (part), that’s crazy to hear.”
Bell responded on X Monday night, calling the trio, “Ned’s Declassless.
“This is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up,” he added. “‘Give me your h*les!!’ Really?!”
The recent docuseries accuses Peck, former production assistant Brian Handy and former Nickelodeon show creator, producer and writer Dan Schneider of various forms of abuse toward the network’s young stars. Neither of them worked on “Ned’s Declassified,” which was helmed by creator Scott Fellows and writer Lazar Saric, according to IMDB.
Werkheiser walked back his comment as he read a comment from a TikTok user questioning if the trio was “in on” the alleged abuse, to which Shaw repeated, “No.”
“I’m not talking about this anymore,” Werkheiser said while laughing. “Guys, we can’t joke like this, Jesus. Sometimes humor helps us move through things.”
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Werkheiser, Shaw and Lee.
Devon Werkheiser speaks out: ‘I feel horrible’
Werkheiser took to X Tuesday morning to share that he had watched the docuseries since filming the live stream and was apologetic for the hurt he caused
“So sorry to Drake. Gutted I hurt you,” Werkheiser wrote in his post.
He added a statement, shared via a screenshot, in which he wrote, “I was being an idiot today. No way around it.” He noted that he felt “horrible” for “speaking about this without seeing” the four-part series.
“I watched ‘Quiet on Set’ tonight and am horrified by the gravity of what Drake and others shared. Truly heartbroken about what my fellow actors went through,” he wrote. “I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I’m sorry for compounding any hurt.”
What happened to Drake Bell?
Bell, who starred in Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” from 1999 to 2002 and “Drake & Josh” as the titular character from 2004 to 2007, alleged he faced “extensive” sexual abuse by Peck. Peck was arrested in August 2003 and convicted in 2004 on charges of lewd acts with a child that stemmed from a 2001 incident. Bell had not previously disclosed himself as the plaintiff in that case.
“The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal. I really don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera,” Bell said in the docuseries. “Why don’t you do this: Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and that will answer your question. It was not a one-time thing.”
Bell said this traumatic period of his life led him to engage in “a lot of self-destruction,” including alcohol and substance abuse.
On Monday, the singer and actor released a new song and music video to a track titled “I Kind of Relate,” which recreates a television set that resembles “Drake & Josh.” The song chronicles his struggles and subsequent shame.
“This song was inspired by my past and now that my story is being told I felt the time was right to share it,” the caption of the video states.
Nickelodeon cast and crew alleged racism, gender discrimination and sexual assault in ‘Quiet on Set’
In part one of the docuseries, former writers alleged they suffered under strenuous hours, a lack of bathroom breaks, combative behavior from Schneider when they questioned some of the content written into shows and female writers being forced to split salaries.
“Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny,” a spokesperson for the producer said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Monday.
“Dan expected and asked a lot from his teams. They worked long hours and consistently made successful shows. In the challenges of production, Dan could get frustrated at times, and he understands why some employees found that intimidating and stressful,” Schneider’s spokesperson said. “In a career spanning 30+ years, Dan worked with thousands of people, many of whom still tell him how much they enjoyed and appreciated working on his shows. But he also knows some people did not have a positive experience, and he is truly sorry for that. Dan knows he should have done better and feels awful about anyone who saw him at his worst, instead of his best.”
Among the questionable content were skits involving a heavy focus on feet, “All That” actor Leon Frierson being made to wear a costume adorned with large noses that resembled a penis, and a character played by Amanda Bynes on “The Amanda Show” named Penelope Taynt, referring to the area of the body between your genitals.
Bryan Hearne and Giovonnie Samuels opened up about the racism they experienced and the stereotyped roles they were assigned during their time on Nickelodeon while appearing in “Quiet on Set.”
“Someone said the skin tone should be charcoal. I started to get teary-eyed,” Hearne recalls in the docuseries while discussing a skit he was assigned to play, a rapper named “Lil Fetus.”
In an interview with People shared Monday, Samuels discussed her friendship with Hearne, sharing, “I didn’t realize the significance of the impact that I made on people being the only representation they had on television and going through, I hate to call it a trauma bond, but at least having somebody with me that I could talk to, not just as a child actor, but also culturally.”
In another episode of the documentary, the mother of a former “The Amanda Show” actress, Brandi, alleges a production assistant sent her daughter a nude photograph. Brandi’s last name is not mentioned.
The mother, MJ, ultimately decided not to report him to the police out of fear of retribution, but she did take Brandi out of the industry and “never returned.” Handy was arrested in 2003 and convicted in 2004 for lewd acts against underage girls who appeared on “The Amanda Show” and “Cousin Skeeter,” the former being Brandi who was a guest for one episode.
Handy was sentenced to six years in prison for lewd acts on a child, distributing sexually explicit material by email and a misdemeanor charge related to child sexual exploitation, per documents viewed by The Los Angeles Times.
Dan Schneider speaks out:Former Nickelodeon TV show creator denies toxic workplace allegations
What has Nickelodeon said about the abuse allegations?
In a statement to USA TODAY, 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.”
The network added: “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’:Drake Bell alleges ‘extensive,’ ‘brutal’ sexual abuse by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck
How to watch ‘Quiet on Set’
“Quiet on Set” premiered on ID on March 17. All four parts are available to stream on Max.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow
First appeared on www.usatoday.com