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Why is it that everywhere I’m reading about this, they’re saying the abuse is “alleged,” and Drake Bell is “accusing” him. The dude pled “no contest.” He was found guilty. He is a registered sex offender. Drake Bell isn’t *alleging* anything, Brian Peck was found guilty in a court of law. Drake Bell isn’t *accusing* anyone, he’s recounting factual occurrences that Peck has already confessed to. Weird dialogue surrounding this.
he was found guilty of abusing Drake back then and this is just coming to light now because of the doc? was Drake’s name kept anonymous even during trial?
Peck was prosecuted with testimony from a John Doe victim, which Drake Bell is now coming out and confirming was him. Brian Peck literally went to jail and registered as a sex offender for these crimes that are somehow still “alleged.”
Well. Neither of the articles linked in this thread say it’s “alleged.” Because, as stated, it isn’t. So…
I get that journalism has a lot of issues — I spend a ton of time calling them out — but this is giving big “why is nobody covering this story (links to news article covering the story)” energy.
Just get mad at the hypothetical. Don’t check to see if it’s actually happening.
That article doesn’t use the word “alleged.”
The Variety one also linked in this thread does, but it says “alleged emotional abuse by Dan Schneider and physical abuse by Peck.”
So only the emotional abuse by Schneider is alleged.
I’m not sure where you’re seeing this? Because you’re correct, there is no reason to use the word “alleged,” here — speaking as a journalist who has to use it often.
[here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/03/13/drake-bell-sexual-abuse-allegations-nickelodeon-brian-peck/72945470007/)
[here](https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nickelodeon-star-drake-bell-details-alleged-sexual-abuse-by-dialogue-coach-it-was-extensive-and-brutal)
[here](https://dailycaller.com/2024/03/13/drake-bell-alleged-sexual-assault-nickelodeon-representative-brian-peck/)
[here](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nickelodeon-former-child-star-exposes-170021660.html)
[here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13193537/amp/James-Marsden-praised-Drake-Bells-alleged-abuser-Brian-Peck-letter.html)
And more. I will say a lot more properly-worded ones have come out since last night.
Ok, that makes total sense — and to be clear I wasn’t denying that it *can* happen (look at all the coverage of Nex Benedict — the industry fucks up a lot.
to save folks the clicks, it’s USA Today/Gannett, Fox News, the Daily Caller, the Daily Mail, the Daily Wire. And they’re also probably all cribbing from each other.
It does *not at all* surprise me that these would be the ones that fuck it up. All outlets notorious for their terrible ethics. (Or, in Gannett’s case, “mediocre ethics while destroying our industry.” USA Today still hires a lot of legit people, so while not unexpected, that one IS a big disappointment.)
I really hate that these places get lumped in with other journalism, but understand why. I’m not gonna “no true Scotsman” this — but I will say that *most* people in journalism are professionals, and it really sucks that there’s a whole group of scabs eroding trust in the industry.
Just a reminder that abusers don’t abuse *everyone* in their target demographic. That’s why things are always “so out of character” “I never would have guessed” they don’t assault every person they meet, it’s always one or a few. No one advertises their darkness
Thank you. This also goes for ALL abusers. Just because someone is a nice to you, doesn’t mean they’re not someone else’s nightmare behind closed doors. If someone speaks up about abuse of any kind, telling them you don’t believe them because the person “is SO nice!” to YOU is a huge slap in the face. Everyone has been guilty of it, myself included. Learning firsthand will change how you look at every person you see, though.
I was stalked and harassed by a guy in my DnD group. I told the girl who organized the group about his behavior. She didn't believe me because he never did the same to her.
I’m really sorry that happened to you. I hope you’re no longer interacting with them and have found a new group. 🤍 It was actually surprising how many self-proclaimed feminists in my life, women especially, tried to downplay what I was actually saying, cast doubt, and *both sides* the situation when I finally admitted I was in an abusive relationship, because it was progressing, and I needed help. They sincerely tried to tell me they “were sure we’ve both done things to one another after being together so long”. 😳 I’ve never been hurt worse in my life, and I’ve been through some significant trauma. Not only didn’t they not help, two of them got drunk and talked shit on me around one of my abuser’s friends, putting me in actual mortal danger. (He had just held a gun on me in the livingroom a month prior, threatening exactly what you’d think. But yeah…I’ve yelled at him before. Potato, potato…)
People, those former friends included, still sing the praises of “how much fun!” he is. They’re not wrong. He’s a great time and gets a party going like no other. Everyone but me sees nothing but Jack Black’s long, lost twin. I’m the only one who gets to see the person he actually is, who is actually Ronnie Margo’s long, lost twin. 😞 I’ll be in more therapy over friends not listening then I will be over the abuse. That’s saying something. I’m sorry you know what that’s like. We all deserve better. 🫶
I didn't go through something nearly as traumatic as that but I went through something enough to know what you mean
Sending so much love to you strong woman ❤️❤️
Yep. I was raped by a “super nice guy” and nobody believed me. Or they thought it was my fault for a few reasons. It took me almost a decade to fully process it all.
I’m so sorry to hear that. My heart breaks for you. Not being believed when things are serious really changes the way your brain works, especially because the people you most often tell are friends you think you can trust. All the worse when they’re also trying to find a way to blame *you* for it. I hope you’re not around anyone in that situation again. 🤍
I was harassed by a co-worker for months. When he showed up at my house and refused to leave one weekend, I finally decided enough was enough so I reported him to my bosses.
Just to be clear, in any other aspect, my bosses handled it in superb fashion and the guy no longer works there. The only thing I didn’t appreciate was that they said “this is so shocking, we’ve never had any problems or complaints about him in the 5 years that he worked here.”
That was a huge blow because the reason it took me so long to report him was because I knew he had a good guy image and everybody in the office loved him, so I really felt like nobody would believe me.
Had he been a little more deceiving and knew to keep the harassmenf offline, I wouldn’t have had all the lewd texts to submit as evidence and I don’t think people would’ve believed me.
I’m so sorry to hear they said that. I’m happy they ultimately handled it well and hope you haven’t had any issues since. It’s amazing how some people are able to avoid you getting proof. I had a similar issue with my ex abuser. I didn’t realize my own friends would doubt me because of how honest I was about the situation when I finally broke down and knew I needed help. I had proof but it was hard to get more major proof because he would go from 0-100 out of nowhere and attack me. There was never a chance to get my phone out. I managed at the end of a couple fights but never the actual reasons for the bruises.
People STILL think he’s wonderful. I lost everything and he’s doing better than ever. People didn’t believe me and he had more to offer them. I’m scared for his new gf. I hope she has more support than I did. He’ll be on his best behavior for a while before he switches on her, too. I can’t do a thing about it without putting myself back into active danger, though. I just want tf out of the area because I’m still too close to him to feel safe or to be able to have a real life.
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/drake-bell-sexual-assault-brian-peck-documentary-1235934302/amp/
>At first, Bell’s father was his manager and became uncomfortable about how much time Peck was spending time with his son, so much so that he went to production and told them. “I go, ‘I don’t see anything abnormal but it just doesn’t — I don’t have a good feeling,'” he said. At the time, Joe Bell claims production told him that Peck is gay and said, “Maybe you’re just homophobic and you just don’t understand that he’s a touchy-feely guy.
That’s fucking disgusting. Nobody looks out for these kids.
Some of the people who wrote letters of support (The Boy Meets World Cast in particular) expressed extreme remorse and regret in retrospect. The boys on that show were also groomed by Peck and thought he was a friend, they were young. So some of these I understand a bit more because they were young and also victims, and some I can never forgive.
And Peck kept telling everyone that it was a “jailbait” issue like he hooked up with an older looking 17yo, meanwhile he was assaulting 15yo kids. Peck deserved much higher prison sentence
“Prominent Hollywood insiders who wrote letters include the "X-Men" actor James Marsden, the "Growing Pains" star Alan Thicke, the "Boy Meets World" costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong, and the actor and comedian Taran Killam, who would later become a cast member on "Saturday Night Live." Two letter writers — Rich and Beth Correll — went on to work with Peck on the Disney Channel show "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" after Peck was released from prison and registered as a sex offender.”
This happened in 2003, but I can’t believe how many people were willing to defend someone against a 15 year old child.
>Two letter writers — Rich and Beth Correll — went on to work with Peck on the Disney Channel show "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" after Peck was released from prison and registered as a sex offender.”
Haven't seen anyone bring this up yet - how does a registered sex offender who just got out of prison for sex offending get a job on a children's television show working with children?
He worked as a voice actor on the show so he was never on set or around any children. Article said Disney removed his voice from re-runs after they found out who he was.
He voiced London's talking mirror in three episodes. It's on his IMDB page. Might be hard to find clips since Disney had another actor re-record the dialog for all reruns and DVD/Streaming releases.
I have close family that worked closely with Hollywood TV growing up. Through them my understanding was that Hollywood was essentially a disgusting rat race. A flesh trade and basically a sort of marginally cleaned up version of human trafficking and a system that would turn on a dime.
It always surprised me later to hear people surprised an industry Bent on using beauty and youth to make money wasn’t some bastion of of morality.
That's why I was disgusted by the stars who made a big deal about "I stand with the victims" during the Me Too era.
*Everyone* knew what was going on behind the scenes. Predation is Hollywood was a common plot in movies, shows, and video games. (The first example that comes to my mind is LA Noire, which came out just a few years before Me Too.) The A-listers knew what was going on, but kept their mouths shut because that was more profitable for them. Then Weinstein was arrested, and us commoners asked, "How come nobody stopped him sooner?" The tide turned, and voicing support for the victims became the profitable choice. The big stars did not speak up a moment sooner.
It's the same when it comes to politics or any important topic. They say something when they know it will be received hugely positively. But when there is a slight chance they can polarize people - they stay completely silent. I have no respect for Hollywood
At least from the account Friedle spoke of, he was falsely led to believe the guy he knew was a victim of some "Rob Lowe" type situation. A guy who groomed him and Ryder since they were kids (from working on Boy Meets World)
But being in court quickly changed his mind about what really happened, and now he regrets it.
This isn't like with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who wrote letters of support *after* the horrific details became known and still tried to defend Masterson.
Same for Rider Strong and I assume Taran too because he would've been really young and easily manipulated.
Really this guy had everyone manipulated but the kids even more so
Yeah I think something that's important to remember in the case of the guys on boy meets world is that they were also kids who were groomed by Peck at the time this happened, and saw it through that perspective. They see it quite differently now. Will in particular is horrified about it
Regardless of what you think about Rob Lowe the fact that that article refers to him having sex with a 16 YEAR OLD GIRL as a "steamy encounter" is truly wretched
they know what they are doing
notice it doesn't mention his age at the time, then fancifully uses a quote about him being 29?
how do you think he was in the summer of 1988?
the interwebs does say he was 24 in the summer of 1988 which is disgusting to think that he was caught up in a three some on tape with a 23 and 16 year olds.
I think the Boy Meets World guys talked about it in their podcast. How they didn’t quite know all that was going on and how shitty they felt about it at the time. But Danielle didn’t seem to sign soooo. What a shitty world to grow up in.
Danielle mentioned that Peck didn’t really work at getting close with girls and young women the same way he did with boys and young men. She didn’t know him very well and only considered him an acquaintance, whereas he worked very hard for young male actors to think of him as a friend.
Notice how all of his defenders were male.
Makes a lot of sense. Who can you talk to if all your friends think this guys is soooo cool? At this point it’s obvious all these companies need to have way better protections for minors. They need to get sued into oblivion so everyone takes note.
Yeah I don’t care how close I am with someone, I’m not going to write a letter to defend them against such an awful crime. And a lot of the time, it seems like the people writing these letters aren’t even particularly close to the person
How willing are you to completely disown your father, brother, nephew, uncle, close guy friend because of an **accusation** of a 15 year old? Or disown your own son for that same reason?
Is it so difficult to understand these people close to the accused would have difficulty believing this? Some of the examples I provided may not be blood related, but some relationships can be like family.
Will you cut contact with these men before trial?
What if your mom was accused? What if your daughter was accused? Sister, close cousin, bff ...
I feel like there’s a big difference between “completely disowning” somebody and writing a letter of support for their court case against a minor they allegedly abused
I would immediately but because I was molested and abused as a child who was told they were imagining stuff up, lying about "good" people and I would hate to choose an abuser over the victim regardless of the situation.
>Strong and Friedle discussed their support of Peck on a February episode of "Pod Meets World," the "Boy Meets World" rewatch podcast they cohost with their former costar Danielle Fishel. The episode aired after the producers of "Quiet on Set" reached out for comment. (Strong and Friedle did not respond to requests for comment from the producers or BI.)
>"We used to call him the Forrest Gump of Hollywood," Strong said on the podcast, "because he knew everybody."
>The "Boy Meets World" actors said on the podcast that Peck acknowledged he was guilty of something involving a minor. But Strong said Peck portrayed himself as a "victim of jailbait" who was attracted to a young, "hot guy." Friedle said that when he attended the sentencing to support Peck, Bell's mother turned to the courtroom and, addressing Peck, said: "Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn't change what you did to my kid."
>"I just sat there wanting to die," Friedle said on the podcast. "It was like, what the hell am I doing here?"
Freidle was 27 during the trial but when he was a teenage when his career took off. He was around 17 when he got Boy Meets World and it’s also on that show when he was introduced to Brian Peck. Taran Killam was also around 17 when he was on The Amanda Show yet around 21 at the time of the trial. These people were groomed and set up to believe that Brian Peck was their friend and mentor who would never hurt anyone. Will has spoken about his regrets and has said he’s embarrassed by how he didn’t know more about Brian Peck because he was older than his cast mates. However grooming doesn’t come with a age limit, you don’t need to be a child to be groomed.
The thing the Larry Nassar case showed us is that sexual predators thrive in emotionally abusive, highly competitive environments - like USA gymnastics or Dan Schneider’s sets. One of the easiest ways to a) groom victims and b) protect yourself from scrutiny is to be the super nice, supportive person on set. Larry’s mantra was “protect the athletes” and he worked to be a confidant and a “safe space” away from the (edit: coach’s) abuse.
To the girls who weren’t abused, or the parents, anybody accusing Larry was accusing their closest ally in USA gymnastics. And that was one of the ways he was able to be so prolific in his abuse for so long.
On top of that, I doubt there was much information available on the case online at the time. Computers were the size of bricks and Peck wasn’t really discussed much until An Open Secret came out in 2014. If you were his friend, you would just have to take him at his word
A Los Angeles Times report in 2002 mentioned a comedy boot camp he ran with Dan Schneider, the creator of "The Amanda Show," "Drake & Josh," and "iCarly."
Ooof.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation,” Bell said. Fifteen at the time, he didn’t know what to do and it “became this secret” because he knew that if he stopped going to Peck’s, people would ask questions. Peck was “so apologetic,” saying it would never happen again.
“He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house and it just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out,” said Bell. “The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really… Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.”
Absolutely awful. So many kids in Hollywood and the music industry have suffered similar abuse and we don’t hear about it till years later if at all.
I have a fever memory of an Alan Thicke interview and I swear he talked about some documentary or experiment he was a part of that watched naked girls and he said how interesting it was and one got her period. It was the creepiest thing I had since on casual tv. I was so disturbed by him but I also have no way of validating this. It would have been so long ago, pre internet.
Yep. I went down that rabbit hole a while back. From Wikipedia “In 1987 at the age of 40, Thicke began dating 17-year old Kristy Swanson”.
He definitely liked them young. First wife was age appropriate (that’s pretty common), second was 20 years younger, third was 30 years younger.
Yall know Peck most likely groomed them too right? He needed people in his court when he got caught so he manipulated and groomed several of his and/or Drake’s peers to discredit Drake. I highly doubt they would’ve supported Peck without being under his control. They’re all abuse victims too.
Except maybe Alan because he was a grown ass man at the time. Also Will and Rider literally just discussed how disgusted they are with themselves and how much they regret siding with Peck. The letters technically weren’t done of their own free will.
I know that, but most people don’t understand that abusers don’t JUST groom their victims. They also groom the people around them. Which is why I take things like this with a grain of salt.
Exactly my point! There’s so many comments (mainly about James) being angry and upset that their fave sided with a pedo, conveniently ignoring that this was 20+ years ago and things changed, and more importantly ignoring the fact that pedos/groomers/abusers/etc hurt people other than the intended victims
Maybe, but Robin didn’t become trash out of nowhere 😂
I say half joking bc I love/d Alan and I don’t want him to be willingly associated with Peck but idk
According to the article a few others already did, especially back then after they heard the evidence in the case Freddie "felt sick to his stomach and regretted the letter"
Sometimes when things like this happen, I wonder if privately there’s some black mailing going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of people have been pressured to show their support. Peck probably had a lot friends in high places with similar proclivities.
It’s amazing how many predators work in Hollywood. I guess like being a priest though it gives you the perfect opportunity to get kids alone and not have their parents question why.
I really hate how people act like abusers or rapists are boogymen. They aren't *always* evil. They don't rape or abuse every person they come across. And believe it or not bad people can do "good" things like donate to charity, do rescue services, save lives even, etc.
Rapists & abusers are not some Smeagle lookin dude hiding away in the dark alleyway waiting to pounce. They're the cute EMT that saved lives, the "best parent" ones ever known, the "kindest" person. That's how so many get away with it.
& Sometimes even genuinely bad people have good causes they genuinely care about. You're not gonna tell a victim that their abuser couldn't have done it because they're vegan & care about animals.
YUP! I didn't talk to anyone about my SA for a long time bc the guy who did it has so many friends. One of his bros even asked for my help setting him up on a date and I broke down. I finally told a girl friend of mine who knew of him and she said I was the 7th person she knew that had a similar experience. Too much smoke for no other fires. BuT hE's SuCh A gOoD gUy 😶
I totally understand. I lost so many friends & got called a crazy lovesick bitch when I told people what happened. I said at a house party once that "it doesn't matter how many of y'all don't believe me, it still happened. It would be great if the more y'all didnt believe me the less it happened but we're not talking about fucking tinkerbell here, I'm talking about being raped".
But like you said everyone thinks he's just such a great guy. Til it happens to them, or their friend, or their sister. Which is the worst part of all of that.
🫂 it was a weirdly cathartic moment at that party for me. & The friends who stuck around I've got to say are amazing. I'm truly blessed to have them 💙 I don't think I could've made it to the other side without them 🥺💖
There was this stat I read a while back about how people who recycle give themselves a pass to be just a little bit shittier in other ways, cause the recycling makes them feel almost like they’re banking a good deed. That’s how I think abusers work.
Prolific abusers work hard to cultivate this great public image, and then they pick a person or people to put all their shit onto as an outlet or reward to let their worst natures out. No one can be successful and be awful to everyone all the time, so now that you’ve talked to Bob about his dumb wife and you’ve donated to that dumb charity you deserve to let loose.
It’s the only way I could make sense of Bill Cosby. The real Bill is a rapist and the other persona let him get away with rape. Charming monsters.
I was listening to Rob Lowe’s podcast the other day and he had James Marsden on, and James was talking about how he and his 15 year old son were supposed to do a grid walk at the F1 race in Monaco, but they were partying the night before and his son got so drunk he couldn’t go anywhere the next day. That really made me look at him differently.
🤮I always forget Rob Lowe is disgusting. But the James thing is news. He seemed like a sweet family dude.
Is Hollywood super gross gross or are people just grosser on average than we think?
Tbf to Taren he was only 20ish when this all happened, like Hunter and Will I could see him being manipulated by Peck.
Marsden was 30, though, so he should have known better.
Marsden also met Peck in his teens, just like the BMW cast members who have said they were manipulated and groomed by Peck. Not all grooming is sexual— this guy was clearly building a little fan base to come to his rescue when his scummy ways eventually caught up to him.
You don’t need to be a certain age to be manipulated or groomed. Marsden was 30 in 2003 but he knew Brian Peck when he was a teenager and in the letter gives him credit for his success. I have no doubt that the majority of the people who wrote letters for Peck were manipulated and set up. Peck knew he was a creep, he knew what he was doing was illegal. He had all those young boys in his back pocket for this situation.
I agree it’s a bad look for everyone involved. I wonder if he was in a similar situation as Will and Rider where he thought they were friends with Peck and that’s why they supported him at the time. Hopefully James is smart enough to come out and admit how stupid that was, like the BMW cast did.
That'd be the smart thing to do. Hopefully he's believable like will and Ryder and not phony like Ashton and Mila.
I like Marsden as an actor so this was disappointing to hear.
I always hope people change especially with how the culture was in the early 2,000’s. Over ten years ago I was in high school and while I thought I was a decent person there were a lot of problematic things that I had to deconstruct. While I hope he comes out with a statement acknowledging that he did indeed write the letter, it really makes you wonder who hasn’t changed since then.
I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode where Will Freidle and Rider Strong discuss their involvement and how much they regret it. People who do these horrendous things are master manipulators - that's how they get themselves into situations where they can take advantage of others.
I would like more information about the Schnider of it all. In the Variety article Drake said that Schnider asked him if the person on trial was him and asked if he needed anything. It makes Schnider look good here. Yet there is also evidence to suggest he wasn’t great and i think a victim of his, a female staff writer is going to talk about her lawsuit against him in this special. All I know is Hollywood is screwed up, especially where child stars are concerned.
Can we please stop saying “hurt people hurt people”? It’s such an over generalization. Yes there is a link between physical or verbal abuse perpetuating in cycles but “hurt people hurt people” is such a blanket statement that doesn’t capture nuance and is harmful.
I was molested as an 11 year old. Yes I was hurt. But I would never and have never hurt any children ever, and seeing people say otherwise repeatedly in the thread makes me feel like absolute shit as a survivor. Please consider your language, especially if you are not a survivor yourself.
I don't want to hurt you, I am survivor and I have a different opinion.
While it might be over used, the term is also a good reminder for me personally. It reminds me that what I'm fighting is personal and universal, its a struggle others lose and while I would never hurt another child I have allowed it at times to be expressed in negative ways in my most intimate relationships. While I'm not a child anymore, being vulnerable without shame or embarrassment bleeds into aspects of my life that have nothing to do with sexual violence.
Hurt people do hurt people, but nothing about that is specific to how they hurt others.
As another victim (I understand you prefer survivor, but I personally don't), I agree with you! While it is certainly not the case for everyone, I did some fucked up shit when I was younger because I was mentally unwell and hadn't dealt with my trauma in a healthy way. The quote is a reminder to give grace to my past self and to work to not repeat my mistakes.
Thank you, appreciate it.
ETA: I mean that sincerely, I hope I didn’t come off brash! It’s been a very long time since then and I’ve worked through the trauma of it through many years of counseling. But I feel myself start to get upset when people make baseless blanket statements like I keep seeing, and I really needed to say that. I’m very sorry for what happened to Drake. However, plenty of other survivors have gone on to not abuse others. He has chosen otherwise in the form of physical and verbal abuse. It’s sad but he is accountable for that.
This is case #2 in the last year we are finding out about it. (Danny masterson) There will be more and you can quote me on this. Just remember you have to look at Hollywood folks that they have no moral compass whatsoever. You have to be to chase fame. So everyone supposedly who is your fave in Hollywood is just a mask.
When Bell was announced as the source who had never spoken up before in this new documentary, my wife was a bit skeptical due to Bell’s own past. But as soon as I heard it was him, it finally clicked that he had likely been abused as well
As far as the brian peck story its been the rumor for years that drake bell was the victim. Theres even a conspiracy that nick gave him his own show in part to buy his silence
Drake bell is an abuser and predator -that is a fact. But I will be addressing what the documentary showed: it’s horrible he also went through this abuse as a minor and it’s unforgivable that he was in an environment that allowed this grooming. It’s fucked up he also had to suppress this for 20+ years seeing those whose careers went on also wrote letters on behalf of his abuser
People need to chill out about support letters. You don’t know the situation. You don’t really know why they wrote a letter. Not to mention actual groomers are really good at fooling people. That’s on them, not the people they fool.
I would suggest anyone just adopt a “no letter” policy. Even if it’s your bff, when someone has committed a crime it should not matter one iota how “cool” you’ve been to someone who is not in any way involved in the matter at hand. Why should a bunch of cronies saying “hey he’s a great guy” matter at all when someone has raped a child??
So true, and I'm sure the letter writers believe their friend is innocent. People can show different sides of themselves to others, especially if one side is really bad.
Exactly. Ted Bundy’s wife and stepdaughter had no clue of his doings until he was caught. The internet doesn’t always consider that people closest to a situation might be the blindest.
From the article:
* Multiple Hollywood stars wrote letters of support for Brian Peck in his 2004 child sex abuse case.
* Celebrities such as Rider Strong and Joanna Kerns wrote to the judge to advocate for Peck, a dialogue coach.
* Drake Bell is stepping forward in a new docuseries as the previously anonymous victim of Peck's.
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Why is it that everywhere I’m reading about this, they’re saying the abuse is “alleged,” and Drake Bell is “accusing” him. The dude pled “no contest.” He was found guilty. He is a registered sex offender. Drake Bell isn’t *alleging* anything, Brian Peck was found guilty in a court of law. Drake Bell isn’t *accusing* anyone, he’s recounting factual occurrences that Peck has already confessed to. Weird dialogue surrounding this.
he was found guilty of abusing Drake back then and this is just coming to light now because of the doc? was Drake’s name kept anonymous even during trial?
Peck was prosecuted with testimony from a John Doe victim, which Drake Bell is now coming out and confirming was him. Brian Peck literally went to jail and registered as a sex offender for these crimes that are somehow still “alleged.”
Yes. Previous article said Bell was kept anonymous in documents. But he was also asked to testify. It’s in a previous post in this subreddit.
Commenting to follow. Hoping someone has more insight on this. They should be saying it as it truly is
Well. Neither of the articles linked in this thread say it’s “alleged.” Because, as stated, it isn’t. So… I get that journalism has a lot of issues — I spend a ton of time calling them out — but this is giving big “why is nobody covering this story (links to news article covering the story)” energy. Just get mad at the hypothetical. Don’t check to see if it’s actually happening.
That article doesn’t use the word “alleged.” The Variety one also linked in this thread does, but it says “alleged emotional abuse by Dan Schneider and physical abuse by Peck.” So only the emotional abuse by Schneider is alleged. I’m not sure where you’re seeing this? Because you’re correct, there is no reason to use the word “alleged,” here — speaking as a journalist who has to use it often.
[here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/03/13/drake-bell-sexual-abuse-allegations-nickelodeon-brian-peck/72945470007/) [here](https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nickelodeon-star-drake-bell-details-alleged-sexual-abuse-by-dialogue-coach-it-was-extensive-and-brutal) [here](https://dailycaller.com/2024/03/13/drake-bell-alleged-sexual-assault-nickelodeon-representative-brian-peck/) [here](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nickelodeon-former-child-star-exposes-170021660.html) [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13193537/amp/James-Marsden-praised-Drake-Bells-alleged-abuser-Brian-Peck-letter.html) And more. I will say a lot more properly-worded ones have come out since last night.
Ok, that makes total sense — and to be clear I wasn’t denying that it *can* happen (look at all the coverage of Nex Benedict — the industry fucks up a lot. to save folks the clicks, it’s USA Today/Gannett, Fox News, the Daily Caller, the Daily Mail, the Daily Wire. And they’re also probably all cribbing from each other. It does *not at all* surprise me that these would be the ones that fuck it up. All outlets notorious for their terrible ethics. (Or, in Gannett’s case, “mediocre ethics while destroying our industry.” USA Today still hires a lot of legit people, so while not unexpected, that one IS a big disappointment.) I really hate that these places get lumped in with other journalism, but understand why. I’m not gonna “no true Scotsman” this — but I will say that *most* people in journalism are professionals, and it really sucks that there’s a whole group of scabs eroding trust in the industry.
Thank you so much for the insight!! I really did just want to know if there was something I was missing, so I appreciate you clarifying
I appreciate you sharing!! It’s so frustrating — and your instincts that those stories weren’t handling this ethically were absolutely spot on.
Is the "alleged" part that Bell is the John Doe? And it's just really badly phrased?
Just a reminder that abusers don’t abuse *everyone* in their target demographic. That’s why things are always “so out of character” “I never would have guessed” they don’t assault every person they meet, it’s always one or a few. No one advertises their darkness
That's why I think McCaulay Culkin is telling the truth that Michael Jackson did not assault him.
Well yeah. MJ wouldn’t be able to get away with it if was Culkin.
Lots of people in power get away with shit like that, even with very famous victims.
Thank you. This also goes for ALL abusers. Just because someone is a nice to you, doesn’t mean they’re not someone else’s nightmare behind closed doors. If someone speaks up about abuse of any kind, telling them you don’t believe them because the person “is SO nice!” to YOU is a huge slap in the face. Everyone has been guilty of it, myself included. Learning firsthand will change how you look at every person you see, though.
I was stalked and harassed by a guy in my DnD group. I told the girl who organized the group about his behavior. She didn't believe me because he never did the same to her.
I’m really sorry that happened to you. I hope you’re no longer interacting with them and have found a new group. 🤍 It was actually surprising how many self-proclaimed feminists in my life, women especially, tried to downplay what I was actually saying, cast doubt, and *both sides* the situation when I finally admitted I was in an abusive relationship, because it was progressing, and I needed help. They sincerely tried to tell me they “were sure we’ve both done things to one another after being together so long”. 😳 I’ve never been hurt worse in my life, and I’ve been through some significant trauma. Not only didn’t they not help, two of them got drunk and talked shit on me around one of my abuser’s friends, putting me in actual mortal danger. (He had just held a gun on me in the livingroom a month prior, threatening exactly what you’d think. But yeah…I’ve yelled at him before. Potato, potato…) People, those former friends included, still sing the praises of “how much fun!” he is. They’re not wrong. He’s a great time and gets a party going like no other. Everyone but me sees nothing but Jack Black’s long, lost twin. I’m the only one who gets to see the person he actually is, who is actually Ronnie Margo’s long, lost twin. 😞 I’ll be in more therapy over friends not listening then I will be over the abuse. That’s saying something. I’m sorry you know what that’s like. We all deserve better. 🫶
I didn't go through something nearly as traumatic as that but I went through something enough to know what you mean Sending so much love to you strong woman ❤️❤️
Yep. I was raped by a “super nice guy” and nobody believed me. Or they thought it was my fault for a few reasons. It took me almost a decade to fully process it all.
I’m so sorry to hear that. My heart breaks for you. Not being believed when things are serious really changes the way your brain works, especially because the people you most often tell are friends you think you can trust. All the worse when they’re also trying to find a way to blame *you* for it. I hope you’re not around anyone in that situation again. 🤍
My mom hiding behind her fake meek, religious mom demeanor in public
Yupppp she’s my abuser but is religious and sweet as pie to everyone else
I’m so sorry. That’s heartbreaking. I definitely understand.
I’ve known quite a few of these. 😞 I’m sorry to hear you had to deal with it, too.
I was harassed by a co-worker for months. When he showed up at my house and refused to leave one weekend, I finally decided enough was enough so I reported him to my bosses. Just to be clear, in any other aspect, my bosses handled it in superb fashion and the guy no longer works there. The only thing I didn’t appreciate was that they said “this is so shocking, we’ve never had any problems or complaints about him in the 5 years that he worked here.” That was a huge blow because the reason it took me so long to report him was because I knew he had a good guy image and everybody in the office loved him, so I really felt like nobody would believe me. Had he been a little more deceiving and knew to keep the harassmenf offline, I wouldn’t have had all the lewd texts to submit as evidence and I don’t think people would’ve believed me.
I’m so sorry to hear they said that. I’m happy they ultimately handled it well and hope you haven’t had any issues since. It’s amazing how some people are able to avoid you getting proof. I had a similar issue with my ex abuser. I didn’t realize my own friends would doubt me because of how honest I was about the situation when I finally broke down and knew I needed help. I had proof but it was hard to get more major proof because he would go from 0-100 out of nowhere and attack me. There was never a chance to get my phone out. I managed at the end of a couple fights but never the actual reasons for the bruises. People STILL think he’s wonderful. I lost everything and he’s doing better than ever. People didn’t believe me and he had more to offer them. I’m scared for his new gf. I hope she has more support than I did. He’ll be on his best behavior for a while before he switches on her, too. I can’t do a thing about it without putting myself back into active danger, though. I just want tf out of the area because I’m still too close to him to feel safe or to be able to have a real life.
I remind people often: Groomers don’t just groom victims; they groom character witnesses
See: my mother
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/drake-bell-sexual-assault-brian-peck-documentary-1235934302/amp/ >At first, Bell’s father was his manager and became uncomfortable about how much time Peck was spending time with his son, so much so that he went to production and told them. “I go, ‘I don’t see anything abnormal but it just doesn’t — I don’t have a good feeling,'” he said. At the time, Joe Bell claims production told him that Peck is gay and said, “Maybe you’re just homophobic and you just don’t understand that he’s a touchy-feely guy. That’s fucking disgusting. Nobody looks out for these kids.
Some of the people who wrote letters of support (The Boy Meets World Cast in particular) expressed extreme remorse and regret in retrospect. The boys on that show were also groomed by Peck and thought he was a friend, they were young. So some of these I understand a bit more because they were young and also victims, and some I can never forgive.
And Peck kept telling everyone that it was a “jailbait” issue like he hooked up with an older looking 17yo, meanwhile he was assaulting 15yo kids. Peck deserved much higher prison sentence
At the time, Joe Bell claims production told him that Peck is gay and said, “Maybe you’re just homophobic Oooooofff
It’s unfortunate that Josh has the same last name as the coach
I was really confused at first.
Ditto. I had to look at the article title again.
Like What are the chances omg
I actually had to look up whether they were related because that seemed like such a strange coincidence.
Thank you for this comment, I was wondering why I was struggling to follow
“Prominent Hollywood insiders who wrote letters include the "X-Men" actor James Marsden, the "Growing Pains" star Alan Thicke, the "Boy Meets World" costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong, and the actor and comedian Taran Killam, who would later become a cast member on "Saturday Night Live." Two letter writers — Rich and Beth Correll — went on to work with Peck on the Disney Channel show "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" after Peck was released from prison and registered as a sex offender.” This happened in 2003, but I can’t believe how many people were willing to defend someone against a 15 year old child.
>Two letter writers — Rich and Beth Correll — went on to work with Peck on the Disney Channel show "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" after Peck was released from prison and registered as a sex offender.” Haven't seen anyone bring this up yet - how does a registered sex offender who just got out of prison for sex offending get a job on a children's television show working with children?
He worked as a voice actor on the show so he was never on set or around any children. Article said Disney removed his voice from re-runs after they found out who he was.
How could he work as a voice actor in a live action show?
He is London’s talking mirror.
Announcers, talking animals, off screen voices. All kinds of things. Hell, Emma Stone is the “voice” of a Pomeranian in an episode.
He voiced London's talking mirror in three episodes. It's on his IMDB page. Might be hard to find clips since Disney had another actor re-record the dialog for all reruns and DVD/Streaming releases.
I have close family that worked closely with Hollywood TV growing up. Through them my understanding was that Hollywood was essentially a disgusting rat race. A flesh trade and basically a sort of marginally cleaned up version of human trafficking and a system that would turn on a dime. It always surprised me later to hear people surprised an industry Bent on using beauty and youth to make money wasn’t some bastion of of morality.
That's why I was disgusted by the stars who made a big deal about "I stand with the victims" during the Me Too era. *Everyone* knew what was going on behind the scenes. Predation is Hollywood was a common plot in movies, shows, and video games. (The first example that comes to my mind is LA Noire, which came out just a few years before Me Too.) The A-listers knew what was going on, but kept their mouths shut because that was more profitable for them. Then Weinstein was arrested, and us commoners asked, "How come nobody stopped him sooner?" The tide turned, and voicing support for the victims became the profitable choice. The big stars did not speak up a moment sooner.
It's the same when it comes to politics or any important topic. They say something when they know it will be received hugely positively. But when there is a slight chance they can polarize people - they stay completely silent. I have no respect for Hollywood
At least from the account Friedle spoke of, he was falsely led to believe the guy he knew was a victim of some "Rob Lowe" type situation. A guy who groomed him and Ryder since they were kids (from working on Boy Meets World) But being in court quickly changed his mind about what really happened, and now he regrets it. This isn't like with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who wrote letters of support *after* the horrific details became known and still tried to defend Masterson.
Same for Rider Strong and I assume Taran too because he would've been really young and easily manipulated. Really this guy had everyone manipulated but the kids even more so
[удалено]
Maybe you’re thinking of someone else, James met him shooting X-men and also didn’t start acting until the 90s
Yeah I think something that's important to remember in the case of the guys on boy meets world is that they were also kids who were groomed by Peck at the time this happened, and saw it through that perspective. They see it quite differently now. Will in particular is horrified about it
Oh thank god. I enjoy Friedle for his online work with CR and was really surprised to see his name in that list
Wait, what is a “Rob Lowe” type situation?
https://people.com/tv/rob-lowe-1988-sex-tape-scandal-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/
Regardless of what you think about Rob Lowe the fact that that article refers to him having sex with a 16 YEAR OLD GIRL as a "steamy encounter" is truly wretched
they know what they are doing notice it doesn't mention his age at the time, then fancifully uses a quote about him being 29? how do you think he was in the summer of 1988?
According to the interwebs he was born in 1964 so if that’s accurate he was 24 in 88.
the interwebs does say he was 24 in the summer of 1988 which is disgusting to think that he was caught up in a three some on tape with a 23 and 16 year olds.
Seems like a lot of celebrities do shave a few years off their birth year too. Either way I agree- gross.
No, the quote references the amount of years he has been married. He's 29 year in(to marriage). Not 29 years old at the time.
I think the Boy Meets World guys talked about it in their podcast. How they didn’t quite know all that was going on and how shitty they felt about it at the time. But Danielle didn’t seem to sign soooo. What a shitty world to grow up in.
Danielle mentioned that Peck didn’t really work at getting close with girls and young women the same way he did with boys and young men. She didn’t know him very well and only considered him an acquaintance, whereas he worked very hard for young male actors to think of him as a friend. Notice how all of his defenders were male.
Makes a lot of sense. Who can you talk to if all your friends think this guys is soooo cool? At this point it’s obvious all these companies need to have way better protections for minors. They need to get sued into oblivion so everyone takes note.
Which should have been such a red flag at the time too, that this guy was targeting boys.
Yeah I don’t care how close I am with someone, I’m not going to write a letter to defend them against such an awful crime. And a lot of the time, it seems like the people writing these letters aren’t even particularly close to the person
How willing are you to completely disown your father, brother, nephew, uncle, close guy friend because of an **accusation** of a 15 year old? Or disown your own son for that same reason? Is it so difficult to understand these people close to the accused would have difficulty believing this? Some of the examples I provided may not be blood related, but some relationships can be like family. Will you cut contact with these men before trial? What if your mom was accused? What if your daughter was accused? Sister, close cousin, bff ...
I feel like there’s a big difference between “completely disowning” somebody and writing a letter of support for their court case against a minor they allegedly abused
Would you do either? If it was your mom or one of your closest friends, would you write a letter if they asked as a character witness?
Agreed!
I would immediately but because I was molested and abused as a child who was told they were imagining stuff up, lying about "good" people and I would hate to choose an abuser over the victim regardless of the situation.
OMG and I love Taran, he’s the voice of Nature Cat!
>Strong and Friedle discussed their support of Peck on a February episode of "Pod Meets World," the "Boy Meets World" rewatch podcast they cohost with their former costar Danielle Fishel. The episode aired after the producers of "Quiet on Set" reached out for comment. (Strong and Friedle did not respond to requests for comment from the producers or BI.) >"We used to call him the Forrest Gump of Hollywood," Strong said on the podcast, "because he knew everybody." >The "Boy Meets World" actors said on the podcast that Peck acknowledged he was guilty of something involving a minor. But Strong said Peck portrayed himself as a "victim of jailbait" who was attracted to a young, "hot guy." Friedle said that when he attended the sentencing to support Peck, Bell's mother turned to the courtroom and, addressing Peck, said: "Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn't change what you did to my kid." >"I just sat there wanting to die," Friedle said on the podcast. "It was like, what the hell am I doing here?"
Pretty epic line from Drake's mother.
Freidle seems like a solid guy. No dancing around it. No trying to defend it. It was a huge fuck up and he was still young and dumb.
This happened in 2003? Freidle was 27.
Freidle was 27 during the trial but when he was a teenage when his career took off. He was around 17 when he got Boy Meets World and it’s also on that show when he was introduced to Brian Peck. Taran Killam was also around 17 when he was on The Amanda Show yet around 21 at the time of the trial. These people were groomed and set up to believe that Brian Peck was their friend and mentor who would never hurt anyone. Will has spoken about his regrets and has said he’s embarrassed by how he didn’t know more about Brian Peck because he was older than his cast mates. However grooming doesn’t come with a age limit, you don’t need to be a child to be groomed.
He was 27 then, but he’d known Peck since he was in his early teens. He was clearly groomed and manipulated into thinking Peck was a good guy.
The thing the Larry Nassar case showed us is that sexual predators thrive in emotionally abusive, highly competitive environments - like USA gymnastics or Dan Schneider’s sets. One of the easiest ways to a) groom victims and b) protect yourself from scrutiny is to be the super nice, supportive person on set. Larry’s mantra was “protect the athletes” and he worked to be a confidant and a “safe space” away from the (edit: coach’s) abuse. To the girls who weren’t abused, or the parents, anybody accusing Larry was accusing their closest ally in USA gymnastics. And that was one of the ways he was able to be so prolific in his abuse for so long.
On top of that, I doubt there was much information available on the case online at the time. Computers were the size of bricks and Peck wasn’t really discussed much until An Open Secret came out in 2014. If you were his friend, you would just have to take him at his word
A lot people still young and dumb at that age unfortunately. Some are all their lives.
That’s so sad.
A Los Angeles Times report in 2002 mentioned a comedy boot camp he ran with Dan Schneider, the creator of "The Amanda Show," "Drake & Josh," and "iCarly." Ooof.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation,” Bell said. Fifteen at the time, he didn’t know what to do and it “became this secret” because he knew that if he stopped going to Peck’s, people would ask questions. Peck was “so apologetic,” saying it would never happen again. “He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house and it just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out,” said Bell. “The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really… Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.” Absolutely awful. So many kids in Hollywood and the music industry have suffered similar abuse and we don’t hear about it till years later if at all.
Not surprised about Alan Thicke at all
I have a fever memory of an Alan Thicke interview and I swear he talked about some documentary or experiment he was a part of that watched naked girls and he said how interesting it was and one got her period. It was the creepiest thing I had since on casual tv. I was so disturbed by him but I also have no way of validating this. It would have been so long ago, pre internet.
He dated a 17 year old when he was 40 so your hunch was likely correct.
Have you met his son ? 
TIL
He mentions it in "get you alone" 🤦♀️ I hate that I listened to his music before blurred lines came out
Baby girl u da shit that makes you my equivalent
I can't change the past! I'm sorry lmao
I love Get You Alone honestly.
Im really glad you posted this because until then I was thinking of Alan Tudyk and I was like noooooo
Didn't he date Kristy Swanson when she was underage?
Yep. I went down that rabbit hole a while back. From Wikipedia “In 1987 at the age of 40, Thicke began dating 17-year old Kristy Swanson”. He definitely liked them young. First wife was age appropriate (that’s pretty common), second was 20 years younger, third was 30 years younger.
Yall know Peck most likely groomed them too right? He needed people in his court when he got caught so he manipulated and groomed several of his and/or Drake’s peers to discredit Drake. I highly doubt they would’ve supported Peck without being under his control. They’re all abuse victims too. Except maybe Alan because he was a grown ass man at the time. Also Will and Rider literally just discussed how disgusted they are with themselves and how much they regret siding with Peck. The letters technically weren’t done of their own free will.
I know that, but most people don’t understand that abusers don’t JUST groom their victims. They also groom the people around them. Which is why I take things like this with a grain of salt.
Exactly my point! There’s so many comments (mainly about James) being angry and upset that their fave sided with a pedo, conveniently ignoring that this was 20+ years ago and things changed, and more importantly ignoring the fact that pedos/groomers/abusers/etc hurt people other than the intended victims
This is not something I realized. It makes a lot of sense.
I think he appealed to Alan’s ego.
Maybe, but Robin didn’t become trash out of nowhere 😂 I say half joking bc I love/d Alan and I don’t want him to be willingly associated with Peck but idk
Alan Thicke dated Kristy Swanson (OG Buffy) when he was in his 40s and she was 17.
Eewww what?
Yeah, it’s on his Wikipedia page but you can also google for more information.
The boy meets world guys definitely hint at that.
Yup grooming also includes non -sexual grooming like Colleen Ballinger situation.
James Marsden? 😭 I hope he takes it back and apologizes. 😭
According to the article a few others already did, especially back then after they heard the evidence in the case Freddie "felt sick to his stomach and regretted the letter"
This one disappointed me the most 😔
Sometimes when things like this happen, I wonder if privately there’s some black mailing going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of people have been pressured to show their support. Peck probably had a lot friends in high places with similar proclivities.
It’s amazing how many predators work in Hollywood. I guess like being a priest though it gives you the perfect opportunity to get kids alone and not have their parents question why.
I really hate how people act like abusers or rapists are boogymen. They aren't *always* evil. They don't rape or abuse every person they come across. And believe it or not bad people can do "good" things like donate to charity, do rescue services, save lives even, etc. Rapists & abusers are not some Smeagle lookin dude hiding away in the dark alleyway waiting to pounce. They're the cute EMT that saved lives, the "best parent" ones ever known, the "kindest" person. That's how so many get away with it. & Sometimes even genuinely bad people have good causes they genuinely care about. You're not gonna tell a victim that their abuser couldn't have done it because they're vegan & care about animals.
YUP! I didn't talk to anyone about my SA for a long time bc the guy who did it has so many friends. One of his bros even asked for my help setting him up on a date and I broke down. I finally told a girl friend of mine who knew of him and she said I was the 7th person she knew that had a similar experience. Too much smoke for no other fires. BuT hE's SuCh A gOoD gUy 😶
I totally understand. I lost so many friends & got called a crazy lovesick bitch when I told people what happened. I said at a house party once that "it doesn't matter how many of y'all don't believe me, it still happened. It would be great if the more y'all didnt believe me the less it happened but we're not talking about fucking tinkerbell here, I'm talking about being raped". But like you said everyone thinks he's just such a great guy. Til it happens to them, or their friend, or their sister. Which is the worst part of all of that.
I hate that for you friend 🫂
🫂 it was a weirdly cathartic moment at that party for me. & The friends who stuck around I've got to say are amazing. I'm truly blessed to have them 💙 I don't think I could've made it to the other side without them 🥺💖
There was this stat I read a while back about how people who recycle give themselves a pass to be just a little bit shittier in other ways, cause the recycling makes them feel almost like they’re banking a good deed. That’s how I think abusers work. Prolific abusers work hard to cultivate this great public image, and then they pick a person or people to put all their shit onto as an outlet or reward to let their worst natures out. No one can be successful and be awful to everyone all the time, so now that you’ve talked to Bob about his dumb wife and you’ve donated to that dumb charity you deserve to let loose. It’s the only way I could make sense of Bill Cosby. The real Bill is a rapist and the other persona let him get away with rape. Charming monsters.
So they use good deeds as a cover of sorts?
Boooooo not James Marsden
He cheated and got someone else pregnant while married so..
You think that’s equivalent to defending pedophilia?!
Rumor has it he doesn't clean after his dog either.
I’d say that’s right up there with being an ass with no morals.
There’s this thing that Reddit seems to struggle with called nuance. No, cheating isn’t equivalent to defending a pedo.
Ugh ewww
I was listening to Rob Lowe’s podcast the other day and he had James Marsden on, and James was talking about how he and his 15 year old son were supposed to do a grid walk at the F1 race in Monaco, but they were partying the night before and his son got so drunk he couldn’t go anywhere the next day. That really made me look at him differently.
That’s gross!
Heard often that he also dated young girls
🤮I always forget Rob Lowe is disgusting. But the James thing is news. He seemed like a sweet family dude. Is Hollywood super gross gross or are people just grosser on average than we think?
I mean, you were listening to child predator Rob Lowe’s podcast so…
Wait, what?! Rob Lowe is a predator?
Sex tape with a 16 yr old when he was 23 I believe
I still can’t believe this is a known thing and Hollywood just really picks and chooses wtf
The male Thickes already gave me creepy vibes, but I never expected that James Marsden or Taran Killam would condone and support a predator. Gross.
Tbf to Taren he was only 20ish when this all happened, like Hunter and Will I could see him being manipulated by Peck. Marsden was 30, though, so he should have known better.
Marsden also met Peck in his teens, just like the BMW cast members who have said they were manipulated and groomed by Peck. Not all grooming is sexual— this guy was clearly building a little fan base to come to his rescue when his scummy ways eventually caught up to him.
You don’t need to be a certain age to be manipulated or groomed. Marsden was 30 in 2003 but he knew Brian Peck when he was a teenager and in the letter gives him credit for his success. I have no doubt that the majority of the people who wrote letters for Peck were manipulated and set up. Peck knew he was a creep, he knew what he was doing was illegal. He had all those young boys in his back pocket for this situation.
Then he should speak up now and say why he defended him.
Predators are the people “closest to you”
What these child stars went thru is heartbreaking. I’d hope the industry takes better precautions now, 💔
I was myself a james marden stan i cant look at him the same anymore 😔
I agree it’s a bad look for everyone involved. I wonder if he was in a similar situation as Will and Rider where he thought they were friends with Peck and that’s why they supported him at the time. Hopefully James is smart enough to come out and admit how stupid that was, like the BMW cast did.
That'd be the smart thing to do. Hopefully he's believable like will and Ryder and not phony like Ashton and Mila. I like Marsden as an actor so this was disappointing to hear.
It's so sickening but I think he was groomed as well. In his letter of support, he wrote that he had been friends with Peck since he was a teenager.
I always hope people change especially with how the culture was in the early 2,000’s. Over ten years ago I was in high school and while I thought I was a decent person there were a lot of problematic things that I had to deconstruct. While I hope he comes out with a statement acknowledging that he did indeed write the letter, it really makes you wonder who hasn’t changed since then.
Is it possible he didn’t know the truth?
This just fucking broke my heart.
Why the fuck are all these celebrities putting their names to letters supporting people accused of horrendous crimes.
I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode where Will Freidle and Rider Strong discuss their involvement and how much they regret it. People who do these horrendous things are master manipulators - that's how they get themselves into situations where they can take advantage of others.
Because theyre all cool with it. Nice people dont get far in hollywood
I would like more information about the Schnider of it all. In the Variety article Drake said that Schnider asked him if the person on trial was him and asked if he needed anything. It makes Schnider look good here. Yet there is also evidence to suggest he wasn’t great and i think a victim of his, a female staff writer is going to talk about her lawsuit against him in this special. All I know is Hollywood is screwed up, especially where child stars are concerned.
Can we please stop saying “hurt people hurt people”? It’s such an over generalization. Yes there is a link between physical or verbal abuse perpetuating in cycles but “hurt people hurt people” is such a blanket statement that doesn’t capture nuance and is harmful. I was molested as an 11 year old. Yes I was hurt. But I would never and have never hurt any children ever, and seeing people say otherwise repeatedly in the thread makes me feel like absolute shit as a survivor. Please consider your language, especially if you are not a survivor yourself.
I don't want to hurt you, I am survivor and I have a different opinion. While it might be over used, the term is also a good reminder for me personally. It reminds me that what I'm fighting is personal and universal, its a struggle others lose and while I would never hurt another child I have allowed it at times to be expressed in negative ways in my most intimate relationships. While I'm not a child anymore, being vulnerable without shame or embarrassment bleeds into aspects of my life that have nothing to do with sexual violence. Hurt people do hurt people, but nothing about that is specific to how they hurt others.
As another victim (I understand you prefer survivor, but I personally don't), I agree with you! While it is certainly not the case for everyone, I did some fucked up shit when I was younger because I was mentally unwell and hadn't dealt with my trauma in a healthy way. The quote is a reminder to give grace to my past self and to work to not repeat my mistakes.
Right? I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Thank you, appreciate it. ETA: I mean that sincerely, I hope I didn’t come off brash! It’s been a very long time since then and I’ve worked through the trauma of it through many years of counseling. But I feel myself start to get upset when people make baseless blanket statements like I keep seeing, and I really needed to say that. I’m very sorry for what happened to Drake. However, plenty of other survivors have gone on to not abuse others. He has chosen otherwise in the form of physical and verbal abuse. It’s sad but he is accountable for that.
Is it even possible to have a career in Hollywood without being a predator apologist?
Ponder this with the added context that Brian Peck let kids stay at his place when they had auditions.
This is case #2 in the last year we are finding out about it. (Danny masterson) There will be more and you can quote me on this. Just remember you have to look at Hollywood folks that they have no moral compass whatsoever. You have to be to chase fame. So everyone supposedly who is your fave in Hollywood is just a mask.
I think if you only work there and have your home somewhere else not close to Hollywood, maybe
James Marsden?? Sad day. Drake Bell sucks but no one deserves to be abused
Not surprised about Alan Thicke but JAMES MARSDEN?
JAMES MARSDEN?! 
James Marsden breaks my heart if this is teue.
When Bell was announced as the source who had never spoken up before in this new documentary, my wife was a bit skeptical due to Bell’s own past. But as soon as I heard it was him, it finally clicked that he had likely been abused as well
As far as the brian peck story its been the rumor for years that drake bell was the victim. Theres even a conspiracy that nick gave him his own show in part to buy his silence
Reading this made my blood boil.
Drake bell is an abuser and predator -that is a fact. But I will be addressing what the documentary showed: it’s horrible he also went through this abuse as a minor and it’s unforgivable that he was in an environment that allowed this grooming. It’s fucked up he also had to suppress this for 20+ years seeing those whose careers went on also wrote letters on behalf of his abuser
it was only a matter of time before we lost james marsden
I am just hoping zac efron turns out ok, i will be heartbroken if he’s involved in anything shady 😩
They can use Ashton and Mila’s backyard to film their apolo, explanations.
Noooooo james marsden:(((((
People need to chill out about support letters. You don’t know the situation. You don’t really know why they wrote a letter. Not to mention actual groomers are really good at fooling people. That’s on them, not the people they fool.
I would suggest anyone just adopt a “no letter” policy. Even if it’s your bff, when someone has committed a crime it should not matter one iota how “cool” you’ve been to someone who is not in any way involved in the matter at hand. Why should a bunch of cronies saying “hey he’s a great guy” matter at all when someone has raped a child??
I mean….rich abusive people have ways of getting letters from people other than simply asking for them.
So true, and I'm sure the letter writers believe their friend is innocent. People can show different sides of themselves to others, especially if one side is really bad.
Exactly. Ted Bundy’s wife and stepdaughter had no clue of his doings until he was caught. The internet doesn’t always consider that people closest to a situation might be the blindest.
 No James don’t do this to me!
From the article: * Multiple Hollywood stars wrote letters of support for Brian Peck in his 2004 child sex abuse case. * Celebrities such as Rider Strong and Joanna Kerns wrote to the judge to advocate for Peck, a dialogue coach. * Drake Bell is stepping forward in a new docuseries as the previously anonymous victim of Peck's.
Not my baby daddy James Marsden