“Drake & Josh” mom breaks silence on Drake Bell's sexual abuse: 'It broke my heart into a million pieces'

Nancy Sullivan is responding to her TV son’s revelations in the explosive Nickelodeon docuseries "Quiet on Set": "Past abuse doesn’t define us, and it has no right to rule our lives."

Nickelodeon alum Nancy Sullivan is sending love to her TV son Drake Bell following his revelations about being sexually abused as a teen in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, the explosive new docuseries that examines the network in the 1990s and 2000s.

In the Investigation Discovery series, Bell speaks publicly for the first time about the repeated sexual abuse he survived as a teenager at the hands of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.

Sullivan, who first starred alongside Bell in the sketch comedy series The Amanda Show before playing his mother in network’s hit sitcom Drake & Josh, has responded to these revelations in an Instagram post.

“They weren't my real kids, but I'll always love them,” Sullivan captioned an old photo of Bell. “It broke my heart into a million pieces to hear just how much Drake was holding inside while we were working together. I was both devastated and proud seeing the man he's grown into sit down on camera and bravely tell his truth.”

She continued,  “Past abuse doesn't define us, and it has no right to rule our lives, I know that putting this burden down will free him in so many ways. I hope memories of the joy he had on our shows will someday greatly overshadow the pain.”

Sullivan concluded by “sending love” to her former costar “for a deep healing and for a rich and beautiful life ahead.”

Peck worked as a dialogue coach on The Amanda Show while both actors were cast members. The Investigation Discovery series includes Bell detailing the "extensive" sexual abuse he experienced, beginning at age 15 and revealing that he was the anonymous teen whose accounts of abuse led to Peck’s 2003 arrest and eventual conviction. Peck pleaded no contest to charges of committing a lewd act against a child and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Bell is among multiple former child stars, writers, and crew who recounted alleged abuse and a toxic workplace environment at Nickelodeon during megaproducer — and Drake & Josh creator — Dan Schneider's reign in the ‘90s and ‘00s. Schneider has denied allegations of inappropriate behavior and toxicity on set.

Bell previously defended another Drake & Josh costar, Josh Peck, — no relation to Brian Peck — who has yet to publicly comment on the docuseries.

“Not everything is put out to the public,” Bell told fans in a TikTok video on March 20. “I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive. He has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this, and has been really, really great. So just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him.”

Drake & Josh aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons, beginning in 2004, which was the same year Brian Peck was convicted.

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Related content:

• Dan Schneider responds to Quiet on Set documentary allegations: 'There's definitely things that I would do differently'

• Drake Bell slams Ned's Declassified stars for laughing off abuse allegations in Nickelodeon doc: 'Declassless'

• Pedophiles on set, sexism in the writers' room: Everything said about Nickelodeon on Quiet on Set

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