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JOSH PECK, DRAKE BELL© Getty Images

What is Drake Bell and Josh Peck's relationship like now? Drake & Josh star reveals 'ups and downs'

The Nickelodeon stars were thrust into the spotlight once again following the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV

Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
March 24, 2024
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Nickelodeon was dealt a huge blow this month when the Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV was released.

Several former child stars on the network and those who worked on some of its biggest shows opened up about their negative and traumatizing experiences, though none more so than Drake Bell.

The former TV star, 37, said that he had been sexually abused by former acting and dialogue coach Brian Peck, who worked on The Amanda Show, and through the process, received public support from none other than his former onscreen stepbrother Josh Peck (no relation to Brian Peck).

Actors Josh Peck and Drake Bell attend Nickelodeon's 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards held at USC Galen Center on March 29, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.© Getty Images
Drake Bell and Josh Peck's relationship has been thrust back into the spotlight

The pair co-starred on the hit Nick sitcom Drake & Josh for three years, from 2004-07 (and its two TV films), with the show first airing when they were each 18. They played stepbrothers Drake and Josh, two complete opposites who eventually develop a close friendship and brotherly bond.

On The Sarah Fraser Show podcast, which came out earlier this week, Drake revealed that while and Josh, also 37, had experienced their hardships, they were like "brothers" at the end of the day.

"We've had our ups and downs, but we're like real brothers," he said. "Sometimes you want to hang out with your brother, sometimes you want to knock him in the head."

Josh Peck and Drake Bell during Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards 2003 - Arrivals at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, United States.© Getty Images
The pair achieved fame in 2004 when they co-starred in "Drake & Josh"

"But at the end of the day, I think we do have a really special relationship and I would always be there for him and I know that he would be the same."

He continued: "I know that there's been some catty remarks and things that have been said by him and by me but I don't want the public jumping on him because, in my times of struggle and times of pain, he has been somebody there that's been really important and special throughout my life."

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Soon after the docuseries aired, Drake took to social media to reveal that Josh had reached out privately and offered his support, imploring fans to "take it easy" on him.

Actor Drake Bell attends the opening night of "Rock Of Ages" at The Bourbon Room on January 15, 2020 in Hollywood, California.© Getty Images
Drake came out with his story of having been abused by former Nickelodeon acting coach Brian Peck

Josh soon shared a public statement of his own, which read: "I finished the Quiet On Set documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world."

"Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry."

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The pair first worked together on The Amanda Show, and following their time on Drake & Josh, while they reunited occasionally, things seemed tense.

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Drake wasn't invited to Josh's 2017 wedding, and the latter claimed in an interview that his former co-star had angrily texted him the night of the ceremony and cryptically tweeted about it the following day.

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He added that he hadn't invited him to the wedding because he "hadn't really talked to him in many, many years," however Drake opined in an interview in 2023 that he had never actually texted his onscreen brother and was "bummed" when he saw the post about the wedding the day after.

Josh Peck and Paige Peck volunteer at the Los Angeles Mission's 87th Annual Christmas Celebration at Los Angeles Mission on December 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California© Getty Images
The pair got into a public feud after Drake wasn't invited to Josh's wedding to Paige O'Brien

They both mentioned having lost touch over the years, despite having reunited on several occasions since the conclusion of Drake & Josh, and after a recent TikTok from Josh seemed to hint at his relationship with Drake, the latter shut it down by assuring fans that they were all good in the aftermath of Quiet on Set.

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