Just before his revealing interview for the documentary ID. Silent on set, Drake Bell admitted that he entered rehab before having the intense conversation.
During his recent appearance on The Sarah Fraser Show, Bell stated that he was originally “cautious” about participating in the docuseries, in which other former Nickelodeon child stars spoke out about physical and mental abuse on set at the hands of members of the production team.
Drake Bell revealed that he had previously been approached to do a separate documentary. However, when he refused, the actor and musician stated that the response was “incredible.”
“They said people like me were the problem,” Bell recalled. “And that’s why things aren’t going to change in the industry, because people like you won’t speak up or come forward.”
Drake Bell also stated that he felt “embarrassed” for not wanting to be part of the other documentary. “That’s why I’ve always been cautious and nervous when I’ve been approached to talk about such a sensitive topic.”
So when he was approached to do Silent on set, Drake Bell said he was hesitant to respond. However, after speaking with one of the documentary’s directors, Emma Schwartz, he seemed more relaxed and willing.
“She was very sensitive and we became friends before,” Bell said. “I realized that she was coming from a genuine place when we started our back-and-forth game, and she wasn’t an angle of, ‘Okay, what do I have to say to get him involved?’ And I’ll just say what I have to say to convince him. I really felt comfort with her. So I said, ‘You know, if you’re willing to come to Los Angeles and sit down, I’ll at least meet you.'”
Drake Bell goes to rehab after first interview and undergoes trauma therapy
After his first interview with Schwartz, Drake Bell decided to go to rehab for trauma therapy.
“You spent the whole day working and processing this with a clear mind,” Bell said. “And unearthing all these things that I hadn’t faced head-on, or if I had tried, was too painful.”
Upon leaving rehab, Drake Bell said he felt it was the right time to do the interview. “I thought, ‘Maybe this is a good time to reach out to them and say, hey, I’m not 100 percent yet, let’s talk a little more,'” he noted. “But I’m getting closer to feeling comfortable finally sharing my story.”
Drake Bell continued the interview. He talked about his years on Nickelodeon. However, he was forced to remember the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of former acting coach Brian Peck. In the early 2000s, Peck was arrested on 11 charges, including lewd acts with a minor. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Drake Bell was the child Peck abused.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn