Trigger warning: the story below contains descriptions of sexual assault.
In an emotional TikTok video posted over the weekend, the ex Drake & Josh Star Drake Bell has shared that a ballad from his 2005 debut album Telegraph, titled “In the End,” contained lyrics alluding to his being sexually abused by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. This abuse has been explored in recent documentaries Quiet on the set: The Dark Side of Kids TVwhich chronicled stories of emotional abuse and traumatic experiences endured by teenagers and two actors on the sets of a variety of Nickelodeon programs.
“I wrote this song when I was 15 about what happened before I told anybody,” Bell captioned the minute-long video, in which he sits with a forlorn, pained look as the song's emotional lyrics play out. “Wake up/ It's time to pack up and drive away/ 'Breathe, the next few days will treat you better'/ So they say,” he sings. “Another day passed for no reason/But it's okay if you turn around/And feel the memories fall on you.”
The song's lyrics never seem to explicitly mention abuse, but the chorus (not included in Bell's video) hints at dark themes. “Wake up/ The monsters in your head have left you/ All to yourself, it's okay/ If the ugly little things remind you of how you felt,” he sings, adding, “Another day, nobody tells you what it means/ What it is in your way and poison your dreams/ The darkest place you've ever been'.
Bell, now 37, described his abuse for the first time in the four-part series that blasted the toxic work environment at Viacom's children's network on sets directed by Dan Schneider, creator of such hit programs as Drake & Josh, The Amanda Show, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Catwhich launched the careers of such superstars as Ariana Grande, Amanda Bynes, Kenan Thompson, Victoria Justice and others.
In the series, Bell discussed his abuse by Peck — who was convicted of sexually assaulting a Nickelodeon child actor (Bell) in 2004 — for the first time, along with other stories of then-underage actors alleging abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate alleged aggressive behavior. on the network.
Peck was convicted in 2004, a year before Bell's debut album was released and several years after authorities said the abuse of the then 14/15-year-old actor took place. Peck was charged with child molestation in 2003 and later convicted of lewd act on a child and oral intercourse with a person under 16 — resulting in a 16-month sentence and registration as a sex offender.
“Now that Drake Bell has revealed his identity as a plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are disappointed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has suffered, and we commend and support the strength it took to come forward,” Nickelodeon said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the show's debut earlier this month.
Bell is set to release his sixth studio album, Direct flight, later this year. The video for the album's power pop first single, “I Kind of Relate,” includes scenes that directly refer to the abuse of some other difficult chapters in the singer/actor's personal life. “I kind of relate
I found beauty in my pain/ I walk away/ From the abuse and all the shame,” he sings on the Beach Boys tune. “Why no one comes/ To my house anymore/ No one knocks on my door.”
Watch Bell's TikTok video below.
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatic for survivors of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs support, you can turn to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to victims of sexual assault. Call RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the sexual violence organization Website For more information.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/drake-bell-2005-song-in-the-end-chronicled-sexual-abuse-1235641361/