Will Friedle, Rider Strong Reveal ‘Healing’ Talk With Drake Bell After Supporting His Abuser Brian Peck

deadline.com:

Drake Bell‘s shocking revelations in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV have led to some healing between fellow child stars.

After the Nickelodeon alum revealed the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck while he was a teenager, Will Friedle and Rider Strong opened up about their April conversation with Bell following their letters of support for Peck during his 2003 trial. “Talking to Drake was amazing … horrible … healing, for a number of reasons,” said Friedle on Thursday’s episode of the Pod Meets World podcast. “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.'” Bell previously said he had the “most amazing conversation” with Strong in April, writing on X, “We are all healing together.

I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him.” Strong said the revelations shared on the ID docuseries were “just devastating,” adding: “The pain, hurting for Drake, and just feeling so full of regret and shame and then just start picking apart the lies … my brother called me immediately, we just sat there on the phone, [sharing stories].

I just fell into this hole. I still haven’t quite gotten out. “Of course, moral clarity is just something that comes over time and distance,” added Strong. “There’s really no excuse — that I accepted Brian’s story, that I didn’t ask the questions or do research or investigate on my own.