Drake Bell SaysBoy Meets World's Will Friedle, Rider Strong 'Check In on Me' After Apologizing for Supporting His Abuser

Mar. 15, 2025

From left: Will Friedle, Rider Strong, Drake Bell.Photo:David Becker/Getty; Greg Doherty/Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

David Becker/Getty; Greg Doherty/Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Drake Bellis opening up about the support he received after revealing he was a victim of sexual abuse.

“Will [Friedle]reached out,” he said. “That was really sweet.Rider [Strong]reached out — he was very apologetic and sweet, and we had a really long, like, two-hour conversation. They check in on me and everything and, yeah, that’s about it.”

Fraser also asked if Bell had talked to Robin Thicke, whose late father Allen Thicke had written a letter of support for Peck as well, while they worked together onThe Masked Singer.

“No, I don’t think he even connected the dots or anything like that because he has nothing to do with it,” Bell explained.

(l-r) Drake Bell, Will Friedle and Rider Strong.Michael Tran/Getty, Tommaso Boddi/Getty

Michael Tran/Getty, Tommaso Boddi/Getty

In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to charges against him for oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old in connection with Bell’s case. Peck spent 16 months in prison and was required to register as a sex offender.

The ID Channel special exposed several actors whowrote letters of support for Peckwhen he was set to be sentenced in 2004 for sexually abusing Bell, although it is unclear how much each of them knew about the charges at the time.

“So you sidle up to the guy who now you look back on as an adult and you go, ‘He’s horrible,'” Friedle said. “And my instinct initially was, ‘Well, my friend can’t be [this person], this can’t be. So it’s got to be the other person’s fault,’ has to be the story. Of course, it makes complete sense. The way that he’s saying it and ‘You’re damn right, it’s that kid’s fault. How dare he?’ And I look back at that now as an adult, and it makes me want to cry that I ever was that naive.”

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

From left: Brian Peck, Will Friedle and Rider Strong.Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock; Greg Doherty/Getty

Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock; Greg Doherty/Getty

The following month, Bell took to X (formerly Twitter) toshare an update on his friendshipwith Strong. “I just had the most amazing conversation with@RiderStrongwe are all healing together. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him,” Bell wrote.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Brian Peck.Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

In addition to Friedle, Strong and Thicke, letters of support for Peck came fromSNLalumTaran Killam,Growing PainsstarJoanna Kerns, Twin PeaksactressKimmy RobertsonandX-Menproducer Tom DeSanto.

In a statement featured in the docuseries, Kerns said: “I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation. Knowing what I know now, I would never have written the letter.”

In a statement to PEOPLE issued through his representative on March 13, DeSanto said, “Having dedicated a significant portion of my career to shedding light on systemic abuse and advocating for those without a voice. These experiences have profoundly shaped my understanding of responsibility and advocacy and is at the core of who I am."

He added, “My decisions at the time were based on incomplete information given to me, and I lacked full awareness of the gravity of the accusations. With the knowledge and understanding I possess today, I want to personally apologize to Drake and his family and emphatically state that had I been fully informed of all the accusations, my support would have been absolutely withheld. This situation underscores the critical importance of due diligence and the relentless pursuit of truth, especially when it comes to standing in solidarity with survivors of abuse.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com