Nancy Sullivan, who played Drake Bell‘s mother on Drake & Josh, is showing her support after he broke his silence about being abused as a child.
“They weren’t my real kids, but I’ll always love them. It broke my heart into a million pieces to hear just how much Drake was holding inside while we were working together,” the actress wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, March 20. “I was both devastated and proud seeing the man he’s grown into sit down on camera and bravely tell his truth.”
Sullivan, 54, continued with a message for Bell, 37, adding, “Past abuse doesn’t define us, and it has no right to rule our lives, I know that putting this burden down will free him in so many ways. I hope memories of the joy he had on our shows will someday greatly overshadow the pain. Sending love to Drake for a deep healing and for a rich and beautiful life ahead.”
Bell revealed in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV that he was the unnamed minor who accused dialogue coach Brian Peck of sexual abuse in 2003.
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During the third episode of the doc, which aired on Monday, March 18, Bell referred to the assault as “extensive” and “brutal.”
“I really don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera,” he noted. “Why don’t you think of the worst stuff someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault and that will answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it. It was not a one-time thing.”
Peck — who has no relation to Bell and Sullivan’s former costar Josh Peck — was arrested in August 2003 after he was accused of sexually abusing a child. Brian, 63, 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, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence.
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Before the doc aired, Nickelodeon released statement to Us Weekly, which read, “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.”
Sullivan is not the only former costar who has reached out to Bell following his revelation. Bell took to social media on Wednesday to confirm that Josh, 37, checked in with him privately.
“I want to clear something up. I’ve noticed a lot of comments on some of Josh’s TikToks and some of his posts and I just want to let you guys know … processing this and going through this is a really emotional time and a lot of it is very difficult,” Bell said via TikTok. “So not everything is put out to the public. But I want you guys to know that he has reached out to me.”
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Bell said he appreciated Josh checking in on him over the “very sensitive” matter. “He has reached out to talk to me and help me work through this,” he added. “And he’s been really great.”
The clip concluded with Bell encouraging his followers to “take it a little easy” on Josh, who has yet to publicly comment on the docuseries.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
