Rider Strong and Will Friedle often check in on Drake Bell

Following the release of "Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV", it was revealed that several actors had written letters of support to Brian Peck ahead of his 2004 sexual assault conviction. Drake Bellalthough it remains unclear how much they knew about the allegations at the time.

Among those actors were Will Friedle and Rider Strongwho later expressed regret for their support on their "Pod Meets World" podcast. Friedle explained that Peck "intruded" into his life and manipulated him to view the victim in a negative light.

Now, in a new episode "The Sarah Fraser Show", Drake Bell has opened up about his relationship with Rider Strong and Will Friedle following the previous backlash the "Boy Meets World" stars received.

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Drake Bell says Will Friedle and Rider Strong will check in on him regularly

Drake Bell at The Maxim Hot 100 Experience
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Fraser asked after the first interview if anyone had come forward to offer support. It was noted that none of the letter writers responded. However, Bell said that actors Strong and Friedle came to him during difficult times.

“Will answered. That was really sweet," the actor said. "Rider reached out and was very sweet and apologetic. We had a long two-hour conversation and they checked me out.”

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Will Friedle comments on Drake Bell Revelations

Will Friedle at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival
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Shortly after the release of the documentary and after Friedle was exposed for writing a letter of support to Brian Peck.

"So you walk up to a guy that you look back on now as an adult and say, 'He's terrible,'" Friedle said. “And my instinct at first was, 'Well, my friend can't be (this person), this can't be. So it must be the other person's fault,' must be the story. Of course, it makes perfect sense. The way he says it and 'You're damn right, it's that kid's fault. How dare he?" And I look back on it now as an adult, and it makes me cry that I was ever so naive."

He added that he now believes he was sitting in the courtroom "on the wrong side of everything."

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Drake Bell renews relationship with Rider Strong

Drake Bell at the movie premiere
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In March, after Quiet on Set was published, Bell criticized Friedle and Strong in since-deleted comments under "Zoey 101" star Alexa Nikolas' post, accusing them of knowing about Peck's actions but still writing letters of support.

However, the following month, Bell released an update on his relationship with Strong via X (formerly Twitter). "Just had an amazing talk with @RiderStrong. We are all healing together. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him," Bell shared.

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What did Brian Peck do to Drake Bell?

Drake Bell at the 2017 KIIS FM Wango Tango
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In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to charges of oral copulation with a minor under the age of 16 and lewdness with a 14- or 15-year-old. At the time, the identity of the victim remained a mystery – until now.

Bell surprised many by revealing himself as the plaintiff in Peck's sexual assault case. In the documentaries, he opened up with raw vulnerability, recounting how the abuse began and sharing his journey to healing.

“(Brian Peck) pretty much worked his way into every aspect of my life,” Bell said in the documentary about when Peck convinced Bell's father to step down as his manager so Peck could take over the job. "I knew my life would be completely different from that moment on."

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Drake Bell says everything changed in just one night

'Comeback Era': Drake Bell's Major Career Move After Brian Peck's Abuse Allegations
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Bell began spending more time with Peck, often spending the night at his house. However, one night everything took a devastating turn.

"I was sleeping on the couch where I would normally sleep, and I woke up in front of him, I opened my eyes, I woke up, and he was sexually assaulting me and I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I had no idea how to get out of the situation,” Bell said in the documentary.

He added: "You know whenever I had an audition or whenever I had to work on dialogue or whatever, I kind of ended up back at Brian's house, and it got worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and I was just captured. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and became quite brutal.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit an officer National Sexual Assault Hotline website to talk to a sexual assault service provider.



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