Read the letters that celebrities including James Marsden, Alan Thicke, and Rider Strong wrote supporting the acting coach charged with sexually abusing Drake Bell

Olivia Singh,Kate TaylorMar 20, 2024, 03:35 IST

Drake Bell during episode two of the Investigation Discovery docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV."Investigation Discovery<ul class="summary-list"><li>Forty-one family members and friends wrote letters in support of dialogue coach Brian Peck.</li><li>Peck was charged in 2003 with sexually abusing an unnamed child, who was recently revealed to be Drake Bell.</li></ul>Investigation Discovery's four-part docuseries "<a target="_blank" rel href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-schneider-nickelodeon-toxic-work-environment-docuseries-2024-2">Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV</a>" is filled with new revelations about the unsettling behind-the-scenes activity at Nickelodeon, and the people who turned a blind eye to it.Episodes three and four, released on Monday night, feature "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" star <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drake-bell-sexual-abuse-nickelodeon-brian-peck-documentary-2024-3">Drake Bell</a>, who opens up for the first time about being sexually abused by his acting coach, Brian Peck, when he was 15 years old.Peck was arrested in August 2003 on 11 charges of child sexual abuse. In October 2004, he was sentenced to 16 months in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender.But before the judge sentenced him, 41 of Peck's friends and family — including notable celebrities — wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drake-bell-brian-peck-letters-of-support-2024-3">letters in support</a> of the dialogue coach. It's unclear what these supporters were told about Peck's crimes. The letters were sealed until Maxine Productions, one of the docuseries' producers, successfully petitioned the court to unseal them in 2023."There were so many people in power that tried to protect this person," Bell told Business Insider's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/kate-taylor">Kate Taylor</a> in March. "Not only people in power but people that I considered friends.""Seeing that some of these people were friends of mine later in life, people that I'd worked with later in life, and having no idea that they had written letters — that's just a new thing to process," Bell added.Here's a look at some of those letters, written by celebrities including James Marsden, Alan Thicke, and Rider Strong.

Actor James Marsden said that he "couldn't breathe" when he learned of Peck's arrest.

James Marsden's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

Taran Killam, who worked on multiple Nickelodeon shows before "Saturday Night Live," said that Peck was "one of my dearest friends."

Taran Killam's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

"Growing Pains" star Alan Thicke described Peck as an "honorable, respectable, intelligent human being."

Alan Thicke's 2004 letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

Actor Joanna Kerns, who worked with Peck for seven years on "Growing Pains," called him "a good man that made a mistake, not a bad man who got caught."

Joanna Kerns' letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

"General Hospital" actor Ron Melendez called Peck "extremely generous with his time and energy" and devoted to his inner circle.

Ron Melendez's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

"X-Men" producer Tom DeSanto wrote that jail time would be "detrimental" to Peck's efforts to "pull his life back together."

Tom DeSanto's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

"Boy Meets World" star Will Friedle said that he never thought he'd have to defend "such an honest and ethical friend."

Will Friedle's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

"Boy Meets World" star Rider Strong also wrote a letter in support of Peck, calling him "one of the most dependable people."

Rider Strong's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

Kimmy Robertson, who appeared on some Nickelodeon shows, met Peck on her first-ever acting job and said they became "best friends."

Kimmy Robertson's letter to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

Directors Beth and Rich Correll vouched for Peck's integrity in their letters to the judge.

Beth and Rich Correll's letters to the judge in support of Brian Peck.Los Angeles County Superior Court courtesy of Maxine Productions

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