Boy Meets World stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong have apologized for defending sex offender Brian Peck years before Drake Bell had revealed he was abused by him on explosive docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV.
Friedle, 47, and Strong, 44, – who previously spoke to Bell as they are now on good terms – were candid about the regret they feel regarding their support of the 63-year-old disgraced television producer Peck coming off of the heels of the five-part ID series.
The two appeared on the latest episode of their podcast Pod Meets World with co-star Danielle Fishel, 43, released on Thursday as Friedle admitted that he is ‘still processing’ what he has learned from the project which dropped in March.
He revealed: ‘It’s gonna be a lifelong [journey of] processing for me, yeah. I knew I had been lied to and manipulated by Brian, essentially, from the courtroom, but you didn’t know how much until you saw the documentary.
‘And then I really didn’t know how much until I spoke with Drake [Bell].’
Boy Meets World stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong (pictured together in June 2022) have apologized for defending sex offender Brian Peck years before Drake Bell had revealed he was abused by him on explosive docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV
Friedle, 47, and Strong, 44, – who previously spoke to Bell as they are now on good terms – were candid about the regret they feel regarding their support of the 63-year-old disgraced television producer Peck (mugshot from the Megan’s Law website) coming off of the heels of the five-part ID series
When Quiet On Set was released earlier this year, it was revealed that Bell (pictured) had accused Nickelodeon executive Peck of sexual assault which resulted in his arrest and 16-month jail stint back in 2003
Peck was a guest star on Boy Meets World in season 5 and was someone who both Friedle and Strong had considered ‘a friend’ for several years.
However when Quiet On Set was released earlier this year, it was revealed that Bell had accused Nickelodeon executive Peck of sexual assault which resulted in his arrest and 16-month jail stint back in 2003.
The ID docuseries also revealed that Friedle and Strong had both wrote letters advocating for Peck alongside several other cast and crew who had worked alongside him.
Bell later called the two Boy Meets World stars on Instagram for their actions two decades prior.
Friedle said on the podcast: ‘There’s no social media. I am 26 years old at the time. I don’t watch Nickelodeon, I don’t know who Drake Bell is.
‘I see a kid walk into the courtroom, and I’m like, “Okay, I’ve been lied to.” Automatically, I know this.’
Fishel chimed in to clarify that none of them had known ‘who the victim was’ until the documentary had aired earlier this year.
She said: ‘Will, who had been in the courtroom, had never seen Drake on a TV show when he was in the courtroom. His name was never said in the courtroom. He was John Doe, or whatever they used.’
The two appeared on the latest episode of their podcast Pod Meets World with co-star Danielle Fishel, 43, released on Thursday as Friedle admitted that he is ‘still processing’ what he has learned from the project which dropped in March; podcast trio are seen in September 2023
Friedle (left), Fishel (center), and Strong (bottom right) are seen on their teen sitcom Boy Meets World with co-star Ben Savage (top right) in 1993
The ID docuseries also revealed that Friedle and Strong had both wrote letters advocating for Peck (pictured in March 2014) alongside several other cast and crew who had worked alongside him
Strong said that he was ‘so full of regret and shame’ for the ‘pain’ that Bell had experienced and that it led to him ‘picking apart the lies’ Peck had fed him during their friendship.
He said: ‘I just fell into this hole. And, yeah, I mean, I still haven’t quite gotten out of it. There’s just so much cognitive dissonance that goes into it, too, when it’s somebody that you considered a friend, somebody that you loved.
‘I mean, I met Brian when I was 13. So this is now when I’m 24. He’s telling me this story, and [he says], here’s how you can help me. And all you have to do is write this letter and, you know, it’s just this one-time thing.”
Strong went on to say that there was ‘so much denial’ from Peck when it came to the claims.
Friedle replied: ‘There was no research to do, though. That’s the thing. I asked the questions. I sat with him.
‘He had an answer for f***ing everything. And we bought it. I mean, Rider’s right — there’s no excuse. We bought it, hook, line, and sinker from this guy who had ingratiated himself into our lives.’
Friedle and Strong have since connected with Bell with the later saying he was ‘so impressed’ with the Drake And Bell star.
Strong said: ‘And I got on the phone with him, and it was just instant connection, instant forgiveness.’
Bell (seen in April) later called the two Boy Meets World stars on Instagram for their actions two decades prior
Friedle (seen September 2023) said on the podcast: ‘There’s no social media. I am 26 years old at the time. I don’t watch Nickelodeon, I don’t know who Drake Bell is. ‘I see a kid walk into the courtroom, and I’m like, “Okay, I’ve been lied to.” Automatically, I know this’
Friedle also shared his experience as he said: ‘Talking to Drake was amazing, for a number of reasons. It was horrible for a number of reasons. It was healing for a number of reasons.
‘He started the conversation by saying to me, “Before you say a word, I want you to know I love you and I forgive you.”‘
Back in April Bell revealed that he had spoken to Strong and that the pair are on good terms.
‘I just had the most amazing conversation with @RiderStrong we are all healing together,’ Bell, 37, said in a tweet Friday, April 5. ‘I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him.’
The Drake & Josh actor previously said Strong and his Boy Meets World co-star Friedle had penned letters in support of his one-time abuser, actor/acting coach Brian Peck, amid his 2004 child sexual abuse trial linked to incidents involving Bell (who has identified himself as the then-minor who Peck molested).
Bell said on Instagram in March of Strong: ‘RIDER WAS 24 years old when he wrote the letter and was told by Brian what he did. He wrote the letter anyway.’
Peck received support at the time from 41 other notable names who penned letters to the judge on his behalf, calling for leniency. Peck, who entered a no contest plea to multiple child sexual abuse charges, ultimately received a 16-month prison sentence and a spot on the sex offender registry as result of his plea.
Back in April Bell revealed that he had spoken to Strong and that the pair are on good terms
Bell said he has ‘nothing but love and forgiveness for’ Strong after they had ‘an amazing conversation’ in a tweet Friday
Fishel chimed in to clarify that none of them had known ‘who the victim was’ until the documentary had aired earlier this year as she said: ‘Will, who had been in the courtroom, had never seen Drake on a TV show when he was in the courtroom. His name was never said in the courtroom. He was John Doe, or whatever they used’; they are seen in September 2023
Strong (pictured in LA earlier this month) said that he was ‘so full of regret and shame’ for the ‘pain’ that Bell had experienced and that it led to him ‘picking apart the lies’ Peck had fed him during their friendship. He said: ‘I just fell into this hole. And, yeah, I mean, I still haven’t quite gotten out of it. There’s just so much cognitive dissonance that goes into it, too, when it’s somebody that you considered a friend, somebody that you loved’
In the Investigation Discovery doc that aired last month, Bell said he was surprised to see a number of notable names show up to the courthouse in support of Peck – including Strong and Friedle.
‘On the day of sentencing for Brian, I get to the courthouse and it was the most unbelievable thing you have ever seen,’ Bell said. ‘His entire side of the courtroom was full. There were definitely some recognizable faces on that side of the room and my side was me, my mom and my brother.’
Bell said on the doc that when he appeared at a hearing, he said he had ‘no reason’ to say anything to his admitted abuser, but trained his sights on the people who were publicly showing support for Peck.
‘I looked at all of them and I just said, “How dare you?”‘ Bell said. ‘I said, “You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person.
‘And I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes and that’s what I will remember.”‘
Other notable names who penned letters in support of Peck included Growing Pains stars Joanna Kerns and the late Alan Thicke, James Marsden and Taran Killam, among others.
Strong and Friedle, who met Peck when he who was a guest star for two episodes on Boy Meets World’s fifth season in 1999, also wrote letters to the judge.
One of the letters sent by the sitcom actors read: ‘It was extremely disturbing to learn of Brian’s arrest. Maliciousness is so antithetical to his nature, it is impossible for me to comprehend a situation that would lead him to do something illegal or even inappropriate.
Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong, 44, (left) and Will Friedle, 47, who met Peck when he guest-starred on their show, wrote letters to the judge and showed up in support of Peck
Bell last month said on Instagram of Strong: ‘RIDER WAS 24 years old when he wrote the letter and was told by Brian what he did. He wrote the letter anyway’
Bell said in the doc: ‘His entire side of the courtroom was full. There were definitely some recognizable faces on that side of the room and my side was me, my mom and my brother’
Boy Meets World alums Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, 42, and Will Friedle spoke about their experience with Peck February 19 on their podcast
‘I immediately called him and offered whatever support I could. Of course, Brian being Brian, he had already received numerous such calls.’
Strong and Friedle on February 19 discussed the situation on their Pod Meets World podcast with cohost Danielle Fishel, as they spoke about Peck.
Fishel, 42, Strong and Friedle played the respective roles of Topanga Lawrence, Shawn Hunter and Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom during its seven-season run from 1993-2000.
The three actors were joined on the podcast by marriage and family therapist Kati Morton, as they navigated the uncomfortable topics of grooming minors and the devastating impact of sex abuse on children.
Peck in 2003 was accused of eight counts of child molestation, and the following year he entered a no contest plea to committing a lewd act against a child and oral copulation on a person under the age of 16 – who Drake has since identified as himself.
Strong and Friedle said on the podcast that they have been asked for comment about Peck, and explained to listeners their past relationships with him, as they formed friendships with him.
‘I was working a lot after Boy Meets World, and this guy had so ingrained himself into my life, I took him to three shows after Boy Meets World,’ Friedle said. ‘This was the type of thing where the person he presented was this great, funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with.’
Strong said he and Peck had hung out ‘all the time’ when they were not working.
Peck in 2003 was accused of eight counts of child molestation, and the following year he entered a no contest plea to committing a lewd act against a child and oral copulation on a person under the age of 16. Pictured in 2012 in Burbank
Peck would go on to serve a 16-month prison sentence in connection with his plea, and was mandated to register as a sex offender
Peck is openly gay, and Fishel noted that some of the parents of the child actors likely did not want to be taken the wrong way by flagging concerns with him and his behavior.
‘There was probably a part of them that didn’t say it because they were afraid it was going to be taken as homophobia,’ Fishel said. ‘Instead of, “This is a boundary, gay or not. This is a boundary between adults and kids.”‘
She added, ‘And so I also think that’s important in the story of Rider and Will, about why he befriended the two of you so closely. And I did have lunch with him a couple of times, but only because someone else would invite me. He didn’t really make an effort to get to know me. He didn’t ingratiate himself as much into my life. I never heard from him again after the show ended.’
In their discussion, Fishel, Strong and Friedle said Peck was a skilled manipulator who was able to rally them to stand behind him when he faced legal troubles more than two decades back, and even support him by attending court hearings and writing letters in his support to submit to the court.
Friedle said, ‘My instinct initially was, “My friend, this can’t be. It’s gotta be the other person’s fault.” The story makes complete sense the way that he’s saying it.’
Friedle said that the mother of the victim in the 2003 case cited the presence of the sitcom stars in a statement in court.
The mother told Peck, ‘Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn’t change what you did to my kid,’ Friedle said.
Friedle added, ‘I just sat there wanting to die. It was like, “What the hell am I doing here?’ It was horrifying all the way around.”‘
James Marsden, 50, and other celebrities wrote letters of support for shamed Brian Peck after he was accused of the child sexual abuse of Drake Bell in 2003 (Marsden pictured March 10)
Nickelodeon dialogue coach Peck – now 63 – pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14-or 15-year-old and to oral copulation with a minor under 16 – in October 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison and mandated to register as a sex offender; seen in 2014
Friedle said he came to deeply regret supporting Peck, as there was ‘an actual victim’ involved, but Peck had twisted things in such a way to make himself look like the victim.
‘He turned us against the victim to where now we’re on his team,’ Friedle said. ‘That’s the thing where, to me, I look back at that as my ever-loving shame for this entire’ [matter]. Getting taken in by somebody who’s a good actor and a manipulator, I could chalk that up to being young and that’s the way it is. It’s awful.’
Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has unsealed 41 letters of support sent to the judge in the case, revealing X-Men actor Marsden was one of the most prominent figures asking for probation – rather than jail time – for Peck.
Journalist Kate Taylor notes it is is ‘unclear how much Peck’s friends knew about the charges against Peck’ when they penned the letters.
Marsden wrote in the letter seen by USWeekly: ‘I can easily say that Brian is one of the reasons why I have been as successful as I have been in this industry. I was lucky enough to have been graced with Brian’s guidance, uncommissioned guidance I might add, and support in pursuing an acting career.
Saying Peck was his ‘mentor’ he added: ‘I don’t mean to dramatize this but I am speaking wholeheartedly about a man whose heart is pure and no matter what you’re talking about, his intentions are always good. He has such an amazing capacity to care about people. This, I find, is very rare. Especially in Hollywood. Brian genuinely cares about other human beings.’
He compared Peck’s suffering after his arrest to that of ‘a hundred men’ and wrote: ‘When I first heard the news of Brian’s arrest I couldn’t breathe. I could not believe what was happening. It was unimaginable.
‘I’ve known Brian for 14 years and never once did I ever see any sign of him being capable of something like this. I have lived at his house for months and shared hotel rooms with him and never once did he ever make me feel compromised or uncomfortable in any way. I don’t know what it would take to have something like this occur, whatever it is, it is extremely out of character for Brian.’
Quiet on Set has unsealed 41 letters of support sent to the judge in the case, revealing Marsden was one of the most prominent figures asking for probation for Peck – it unclear how much Peck’s friends knew about the charges against Peck when they penned the letters. Marsden pictured last month in Santa Monica, California
Taran Killam, 41, also praised Peck in a letter writing: ‘Over the years, Brian has become one of my dearest friends. I know him quite well on both a professional and personal level’ (pictured 2019)
Marsden was also mentioned in X-Men producer Thomas DeSanto‘s letter of support – Peck was Marsden’s best man at his wedding to Lisa Linde in 2000.
DailyMail.com has contacted Marsden’s representative for comment.
Taran Killam, 41, also praised Peck in a letter writing: ‘Over the years, Brian has become one of my dearest friends. I know him quite well on both a professional and personal level. Brian has to be one of the most well liked people I have ever known. I think this has to do a great deal with his generosity, genuine concern for other’s well being, and especially his honesty.
‘When I found out about Brian being arrested I was shocked. Brian is the last person I would expect to be charged with criminal activities. My first thought was, “This is a mistake.” I know many of our mutual friends had similar thoughts. I have seen the effects this situation has had on Brian and I know for a fact that he regrets any mistakes made and that this is certainly not something that would ever happen again.”
‘There has yet to be a set that I work on, where someone doesn’t know Brian, and also doesn’t think the world of him. He honestly is one of the most well liked, well-respected people in this business.’
Actor Alan Thicke, who died at 69 in 2016, said Peck was ‘highly professional and nurturing’ towards young people on set of their show Growing Pains from 1985-1992.
He wrote: ‘Because he was never inappropriate in any way around children, including my own two young sons, I was shocked and saddened to learn of the trouble he was in.
‘Knowing him as I did, I also know beyond a doubt how remorseful he is and how dedicated and focused he will be on his rehabilitation. Brian’s integrity and self-respect have always been important to him and this turn of events has been mortifying to him in ways that will only make him a better, stronger citizen in the future.’
An excerpt of a letter penned by Thicke’s Growing Pains co-star Joanna Kerns, 71, and shown on the documentary read: ‘I can only believe there must have been some extreme situation or temptation exerted upon him to influence his actions.’
Kerns later issued a statement refuting the letter saying: ‘I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation. Knowing what I know now, I never would have written the letter.’
Growing Pains stars Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns sent supportive letters – but Kerns later issued a statement refuting the letter
Kimmy Roberston, 69, wrote: ‘I believe with all my heart that Brian was pressured and pushed beyond belief before he caved in.’
While directors Rich and Beth Correll who worked with Peck on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody two years after his conviction, also supported him via letter.
In the wake of Quiet on Set the couple released a statement saying ‘they had no input or involvement in the casting of Peck on the Disney show.’
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for comment.
Peck served as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show, the latter featuring Bell from 1999 to 2002.
Subsequently, Bell took the lead in his own Nickelodeon series in 2004 with Drake & Josh.
A press release from Investigation Discovery reads: ‘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.’
Bell has not provided details about the nature of the abuse he endured. However, it is anticipated that he may reveal more when Quiet on Set airs later this month
Bell was a popular star on the kid-themed network in the late ’90s and 2000s, during which he co-led the series Drake & Josh (pictured, with costar Josh Peck) and appeared on The Amanda Show
Peck worked as a dialogue coach on The Amanda Show and the sketch comedy show All That, and he was convicted in 2004 of sexually abusing an unnamed minor; Bell, Josh Peck, Amanda Bynes and Nancy Sullivan in a publicity still for The Amanda Show
In 2015, DailyMail.com exposed that despite his conviction, Peck continued to work on a Disney show and a high school–themed horror film.
He faced restrictions only in direct contact with children, enabling him to be hired in alternative roles, even on projects prominently involving children and teenagers.
According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Peck had visited the minor actor at his home for acting coaching during the incident. He was apprehended after the young actor’s parents reported the abuse to the police.
Peck eventually entered a no-contest plea to two counts from the initial 11 charges, as the rest were dismissed.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he sustained minor acting roles and worked as a dialogue coach. His last credited acting appearance, according to IMDb, was in 2018.
It remains uncertain whether those hiring Peck were aware of his status as a convicted sex offender, though his IMDb page does acknowledge his criminal conviction.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a four-part docuseries that exposes the toxic work environment prevalent in children’s shows during the 1990s and early 2000s.
The focus is particularly on productions associated with Dan Schneider, the creator of cherished Nickelodeon series like iCarly and Zoey 101.
Child actors and crew members previously spoke to Business Insider about disturbing sexualized scenes that Schneider wrote for some of his series, and he alleged urged his young female stars to wear revealing clothing on camera.
The showrunner was also accused of repeatedly requesting massages at work, according to a 2000 gender-discrimination and hostile-workplace lawsuit from a writer on The Amanda Show. The suit was settled out of court.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV debuted on March 17 and 18 on Investigation Discovery.
