Trigger Warning: This article contains details of abuse that some readers may find disturbing.
Drake Bell has bravely opened up about the sexual abuse he endured at the hands of a Nickelodeon dialogue coach.
In a new tell-all documentary that is set to hit ID today (March 13), the 37-year-old actor and musician revealed that he had been repeatedly abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck while he was working on the hit Nickelodeon show, The Amanda Show.
Not only did he befriend Bell, who was 15 at the time, on set, but he also invited him to his home for "acting lessons" which made his father, Joe Bell, really uncomfortable.
However, when he tried to intervene, he claimed he was "ostracized" on set and decided to "[back] off," as reported by PEOPLE.
Things only continued to escalate after Peck became Bell's manager and frequently accompanied him to acting auditions in Los Angeles and because they would typically be far from his home, he would be forced to stay over at Peck's house.
But one night, after discovering Peck "assaulting him" in his sleep, things changed.
"I was sleeping on the couch where I usually sleep and I woke up to him... I opened my eyes and I woke up and he was... he was sexually assaulting me," he said. "And I froze, and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react."
He continued: "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. 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," he added.
Bell stated that the abuse, which took place more than once, affected him into adulthood.
"I often look back at that time and wonder how in the world I survived," he said. "I remember all of the abusive events, but everything outside of that is very blurry to me, which is a bummer because I experienced a lot of great things in my life and my career during this time.
"But it was so overshadowed and ruined by what I was dealing with on the inside that it made it really hard for me," the Drake and Josh actor added.
In 2004, after he was reported, Peck pleaded no contest to multiple sexual abuse offences including oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old.
Peck spent 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender.
Bell, who was the plaintiff in the case, was not named at the time and confirmed that he had Dan Schneider's full support during this time.
Schneider, who stepped down from his role at Nickelodeon in 2018, has faced his own allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with underage cast and crew as per Business Insider.
Bell himself has also pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from online behavior with an underage fan and was sentenced to two years probation and community service.
In the wake of the actor's revelation, Nickelodeon released a statement via PEOPLE stating: "Now that Drake Bell had 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."
Bell is amongst a line-up of other child stars who have spoken out in a docu-series titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV which is set to premiere on ID on March 17 and March 18.
