Former Nickelodeon star Devon Werkheiser apologized to Drake Bell and other Nick actors on Tuesday after he was criticized for joking about a new documentary series highlighting alleged abuse on some of the channel’s shows.
Werkheiser, who starred in the Nickelodeon series “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide,” appeared to mock Bell during a livestream Tuesday broadcasted on TikTok.
In a clip of the TikTok livestream uploaded to X, Werkheiser said, “Get back in your hole, Daniel,” and added a lewd joke. The clip had received 4.7 million views as of Tuesday morning.
“Sorry, we shouldn’t joke about this,” Werkheiser continued. “We really shouldn’t. … Listen, our set was not like that. And no, it’s f—— awful. The Drake Bell s—, that’s crazy to hear.” Werkheiser then said he uses humor to process things.
“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” aired on Investigation Discovery on March 17 and 18. It featured several former child stars making allegations of abuse and a toxic work environment on some shows by producer Dan Schneider. Schneider produced some of the network’s biggest hits including “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake and Josh” and “iCarly.”
The docuseries reveals that “Drake and Josh”- star Drake Bell was the unnamed child in a sexual abuse case against former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. Peck pleaded no contest in 2004 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Peck did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for Schneider previously told NBC News that he had admitted to being “a tough boss to work for” but that an investigation after he left Nickelodeon found no evidence of misconduct. Bell said in the docuseries that Schneider supported him after the alleged abuse.
A Nickelodeon spokesperson previously said to NBC News: “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
Werkheiser was livestreaming from the TikTok account for his podcast “Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide,” which he shares with his show co-stars Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee. Shaw also appeared in the video.
Several people on social media criticized Werkheiser for making light of the docuseries and of the sexual abuse described in it.
Bell responded to the clip on X, saying “Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up”
Others felt Werkheiser’s comment about how his “set was not like that” was dismissive because they felt it minimized the abuse that his peers on other Nickelodeon shows had experienced.
In his apology to Bell and other Nick stars on X, Werkheiser said he was “gutted I hurt you.”
“I was being an idiot today,” he wrote. “No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumba– 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 over what my fellow actors went through. I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I’m sorry for compounding any hurt.”
“Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” and “Drake and Josh” both aired on Nickelodeon from2004 to 2007, though Schneider did not create or produce “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.”
Representatives for Werkheiser, Shaw, Lee and Bell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Others felt Werkheiser’s comment about how his “set was not like that” was dismissive because they felt that it minimized the abuse that his peers on other Nickelodeon shows experienced.
Werkheiser issued an apology to Bell and other Nick stars on X. He said he was “gutted I hurt you.”
“I was being an idiot today,” he wrote. “No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumba– 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 over what my fellow actors went through. I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I’m sorry for compounding any hurt.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
