Summary
- Bell calls out Ned's Declassified cast for insensitive jokes about his trauma on a TikTok Live stream, sparking social media criticism.
- Werkheiser apologizes to Bell for hurtful remarks, expresses remorse after watching Quiet on Set documentary exposing child star abuse.
- Dan Schneider, former Nickelodeon producer accused of inappropriate behavior, issues statement acknowledging past actions and apologizing.
Drake Bell recently brought attention to the abuse that child stars endured on the four-part ID docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Now, he has fired back at other Nickelodeon child stars, specifically the cast of Ned's Declassified, for using his trauma to inspire their jokes.
Members of the cast, including stars Devon Werkheiser, Daniel Curtis Lee, and Lindsey Shaw, created a TikTok Live this week. The problem is that during this stream, they made jokes, including one where Werkheiser can be heard addressing Curtis Lee, who was offscreen, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Daniel, we told you never to speak about that. Get back in your hole, Daniel, and give me your holes!" he said.
What Did Former Child Star Devon Werkheiser Joke About?
Werkheiser quickly realized his mistake and appeared to backtrack. "Sorry, we shouldn't joke about this. We really shouldn't. Our set was not like that," he said. "No, it's f***ing awful. The Drake Bell sh** that's crazy to hear. That is f***ed. And that never came out, which is really wild. Really wild." But his insensitive remarks had already created damage, and a clip of his comments was shared on social media.
In the Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary, Bell opens up about the abuse he endured as a teenager. According to The Hollywood Reporter, at age 15, he was abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck. Peck was later convicted in 2004 and sentenced to 16 months in prison.
What Did Drake Bell Say About His Childhood Abuse?
Bell responded to what Werkheiser said with a message on X (formerly Twitter). "Ned's Declassless … this is wild … laugh it up guys … laugh it up … " Give me your h*les?!!" Really?!" he wrote and reposted the video.
Werkheiser responded to Bell on X with an apology on March 19, 2024. "So sorry to Drake. Gutted I hurt you," he wrote. "I was being an idiot today. No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumb*** was even speaking about this without seeing it. I watched Quiet On Set tonight and am horrified by the gravity of what Drake and others shared. Truly heartbroken about what my fellow actors went through. I can't believe they weren't protected. I'm sorry for compounding any hurt."
Television producer and screenwriter Dan Schneider has also recently been accused of inappropriate behavior (there was also a leaked hot tub video of himself and an underage Amanda Bynes). He reacted to the allegations with a statement (per Sky News). "Facing my past behaviors – some of which are embarrassing and that I regret – and I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology," Schneider said.
He continued, "I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation, and even additionally, I apologize to the people who were walking around video village or wherever they happened because there were lots of people there who witnessed it who also may have felt uncomfortable."
