Zoey 101's Matthew Underwood Says He Became Sexually Careworn and Assaulted by Frail Agent
Zoey 101 alum Matthew Underwood spoke out about being sexually abused when he became once youthful whereas breaking his silence in regards to the Aloof on Role docuseries.
Matthew Underwood is talking out about his previous journey with sexual abuse in Hollywood whereas responding to the Aloof on Role docuseries.
The Zoey 101 alum says he became once sexually careworn and assaulted by his then-agent at age 19, which became once about one yr after the Nickelodeon demonstrate ended its four-season bolt. Underwood wrote about the incident in an Instagram submit shared March 28, noting that had never had a wicked journey working on a space of a demonstrate by the cable community. His submit came in step with the as of late launched Investigation Discovery docuseries Aloof on Role: The Shadowy Aspect of Kids TV.
“I know many americans desire me to answer to the aloof on space documentary,” the 33-yr-light began. “I'm going to part something with you that I never thought I'd must recount about publicly, because it's honestly none of your alternate anyway.”
Underwood wrote about two separate experiences he had with sexual abuse. “As soon as I became once 12 years light, I became once groomed and molested by my most effective friend's stepfather,” he wrote, later at the side of, “As soon as I became once 19, I became once sexually careworn after which assaulted by my agent on the time, who had spent a tight interval of time building belief with me as a buddy and mentor.”
The extinct Nickelodeon celebrity, who did no longer name either particular person, added, “Again, my belief became once betrayed and my self-image overwhelmed. I reported him to the company and he has since been fired—although he is silent filled with life within the alternate. This journey provoked my circulation faraway from LA and ended my pursuit of appearing.”
Underwood stepped faraway from appearing in 2009 and returned to the show closing yr to reprise his Zoey 101 feature of Logan Reese within the Nickelodeon sequel film Zoey 102, which became once launched on Paramount+.
Underwood acknowledged he spoke out because americans had been sending him death threats for no longer commenting on Aloof on Role, launched earlier this month. The docuseries encompass allegations of execrable behavior on the sets of Dan Schneider's '90s and '00s Nickelodeon presentations, at the side of Zoey 101.
“I imagine many of my visitors within the alternate are being equally careworn within the event that they aren't joining within the chorus,” Underwood wrote in his submit, later at the side of, “I additionally quiz you all to elevate a few moments and elevate into story why someone may perhaps well perhaps no longer part their experiences publicly and no longer straight shame them for reserving their simply to privacy.”
He went on to defend Schneider. “I never had a wicked journey working on space of a Nickelodeon demonstrate and I never had a wicked journey with Dan,” he acknowledged. “I desire to have he is fully able to being a creator and coworker every person can journey working with.”
The producer, who left Nickelodeon in 2018, had responded to many of the allegations made on the docuseries in a March 19 YouTube video. “Facing my previous behaviors, some of that are embarrassing and that I feel sorry about,” he acknowledged, “and I for sure owe some americans a beautiful solid apology.”
Schneider additionally notorious that he did no longer have uncommon energy over what ended up airing on his presentations, at the side of, “There had been many, many ranges of scrutiny.”
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon told NBC Records in a recent assertion, “Although we can’t corroborate or instruct allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a topic of coverage investigates all formal complaints as fragment of our dedication to fostering a protected and professional situation of labor atmosphere free of harassment or assorted styles of execrable behavior.”
The community persevered, “Our greatest priorities are the well-being and most effective interests no longer simply of our workers, casts and crew, but of all kids, and we now have adopted moderately a host of safeguards over the years to encourage effect distinct we are living up to our have high requirements and the expectations of our viewers.”
Read on for revelations from the Aloof on Role docuseries:
Drake Bell Says He Became Sexually Abused at 15
“I've never talked about this outdoors of remedy,” Drake Bell acknowledged within the ID series, sharing for the first time that he became once sexually abused by Brian Peck.
The series describes the extent of the abuse the usage of graphics from the official prices against Peck—a dialogue and appearing coach who additionally regarded in bit roles similar to “Pickle Guy” on All That—since the Drake & Josh actor preferred to no longer shuffle into component on digicam.
“The abuse became once intensive and it obtained beautiful brutal,” Bell acknowledged. Told by a producer (who's heard but no longer considered) to most effective part whatever he became once fully contented with, he answered, “Why don't you have of the worst stuff someone can effect to someone as a sexual assault and that'll reply your quiz. I don't know the draw else to position it.”
Peck, now 63, became once arrested in August 2003 and one draw or the opposite sentenced in October 2004 to 16 months in jail after pleading no contest to a depend apiece of lewd act upon a youngster 14 or 15 by a particular person 10 years older and oral copulation of a particular person below 16, in accordance with sentencing documents reviewed by E! Records. He became once additionally required to register as a sex perpetrator.
E! Records reached out to Peck for commentary but did no longer hear aid. Nickelodeon told NBC Records in an announcement, “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identification because the plaintiff within the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to study of the trauma he has persevered, and we commend and make stronger the energy required to attain forward.”
Drake Bell Describes How Brian Peck Obtained Him By myself
Bell described Peck purposely driving a wedge between him and his manager father Joe Bell (who additionally looks within the ID series and backs up his son's story) in utter that he may perhaps well perhaps spend extra time with the teen, who had a routine feature on The Amanda Showcase before he became once supplied his have sitcom, Drake & Josh, in 2004.
Peck would elevate him to auditions, Bell acknowledged, and then have him sleep over, announcing it became once too leisurely to drive him aid dwelling. One evening, Bell described, he wakened on the couch (the build aside he acknowledged he constantly slept) and Peck became once sexually assaulting him.
“I iced up and became once in full shock and had no thought what to effect or how to react,” Bell acknowledged, “and I had no thought how to accept out of the utter.”
He recalled Peck being apologetic, however the abuse didn't end—and Bell acknowledged he didn't expose anybody, no longer even when the mom of his then-female friend realized something became once corrupt and took him to a therapist. He admittedly believed that if he acknowledged the leisure, his occupation may perhaps well perhaps be over.
Indirectly, he acknowledged he “exploded” and told his mother every thing, and he or she straight known as police. Bell acknowledged that detectives made him give an “excruciatingly detailed” story of the abuse after which had him name Peck to urged a confession over the cell phone whereas they listened in. Peck “simply started a paunchy-on confession,” Bell acknowledged, and became once subsequently arrested on Aug. 20, 2003.
Dan Schneider Reaches Out
Bell additionally acknowledged in Aloof on Role that Dan Schneider, creator and executive producer of The Amanda Showcase and Drake & Josh, became once rapidly to quiz him if he wished the leisure and otherwise had his aid after Peck became once arrested.
Otherwise, he didn't hear grand from anybody he worked with, either because they didn't know or “maybe since it's a extremely sensitive field,” Bell mirrored. “If truth be told doubtlessly one of the best particular person that I undergo in mind being there for me became once Dan. Sadly, there became once no remedy and I became once left to my have devices…which at that age doubtlessly isn't doubtlessly one of the best thing.”
Brian Peck's Improve System in Hollywood
The records in Bell's case had been sealed for years. But after they had been unsealed, interested events may perhaps well perhaps look who wrote the 41 letters of make stronger filed on Peck's behalf before his 2004 sentencing.
Nobody from Nickelodeon, at the side of Schneider, wrote a letter, in accordance with Enterprise Insider journalist Kate Taylor—whose 2022 investigative share detailing allegations of misconduct against Schneider impressed the ID series. (“We wrote Kate a diminutive little bit of a be pleased letter,” series co-director Mary Robertson told Conceitedness Aesthetic, “after which acknowledged that we may perhaps well perhaps per chance be pleased to partner and effect bigger upon her already improbable reporting.”)
Among americans who did write letters: James Marsden, Saturday Evening Are living player Taran Killam, Boy Meets World actors Will Friedle and Rider Precise, and Rising Danger americans Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns.
Marsden wrote, as his letter became once quoted within the series, that he'd known Peck (who had bit parts in 2000's X-Men and 2003's X2) for 14 years and “what Brian has been thru within the closing yr is the struggling of a hundred males.” Killam, who regarded on The Amanda Showcase and Drake & Josh, wrote of Peck, per the series, “I know for a proven reality that he regrets any errors made.”
Thicke died in 2016. E! Records has reached out to reps for Marsden, Killam, Friedle, Precise and Kerns for commentary but has no longer heard aid.
But, as Taylor notorious within the ID series, it became once entirely imaginable that none of the actors knew the extent of the prices against Peck when they wrote the letters.
Kerns acknowledged in an announcement integrated in Aloof on Role that she had since learned that her letter became once primarily primarily based on “full misinformation. Colorful what I know now, I never would have written the letter.”
Precise and Friedle as of late expressed feel sorry about for standing by Peck, who regarded on a few episodes of Boy Meets World in 1999. They acknowledged on a February episode of Pod Meets World, which they cohost with Danielle Fishel, that they didn't know the categorical fable on the time.
“He didn't mumble that nothing had took situation,” Precise acknowledged. “So, by the time we heard about this case and knew the leisure about it, it became once constantly within the context of, 'I did this thing, I am responsible. I will elevate whatever punishment the govt. determines, but I'm a victim of jailbait. There became once this sizzling guy. I simply did this thing, and he's underage.' And we bought that storyline.”
Added Friedle, “We're sitting in that courtroom on the corrupt side of every thing. The victim's mother turned and acknowledged, 'Compare on the full notorious americans you introduced with you. And it doesn't commerce what you did to my youngster.' I simply sat there looking out to die. It became once cherish, 'What the hell am I doing right here?' It became once horrifying the full draw around.”
Brian Peck's Creepy Pen Friend
In Aloof on Role, All That alum Kyle Sullivan recalled every person from the demonstrate going to Peck's dwelling for a barbecue. The actor and dialogue coach—who additionally worked on The Amanda Showcase and Amanda Bynes' subsequent sitcom What I Like About You—had a room paunchy of classic toys and amusing books, Sullivan acknowledged, and a garage devoted to Planet of the Apes memorabilia.
Sullivan recalled that Peck became once giving him a tour when he confirmed the teen a painting of a clown made by the leisurely serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who murdered in spite of every thing 33 boys and young males, in accordance with official accounts of his crimes, and became once accomplished in 1994. Peck additionally had a stack of letters purportedly from Gacy that had been given a situation of satisfaction within the nightstand next to his bed, in accordance with Sullivan.
E! Records additionally reached out to Peck in the case of his Gacy fandom alleged within the series but did no longer hear aid.
Kid-Friendly Programming?
Frail solid participants from presentations bolt by Schneider talked in Aloof on Role about either feeling downhearted on the time—or in hindsight—about among the most costumes they had been made to position on and varied inappropriate-out gags that can perhaps perhaps had been of questionable taste but had been televised for all Nickelodeon viewers to ogle.
Leon Frierson, who became once on All That from 1997 except 2000, recalled having to position on flesh-colored tights and underclothes to play a superhero known as “Nostril Boy” with gear that “regarded cherish a penis and testicles on my shoulders.” In one sketch, Nostril Boy sneezed and a glob of snot hit a girl within the face.
Essentially, slimy substances hitting ladies within the face became once a repeat shaggy dog fable in a different of Schneider's presentations, at the side of Zoey 101, as pointed out within the ID series by Jamie Lynn Spears' costar Alexa Nikolas. (She and iCarly alum Jennette McCurdy are among the many extinct Nickelodeon actors who’ve beforehand spoken out against the community for failing to defend young ability.)
“It became once simply downhearted,” Frierson acknowledged within the series. But, he added, no person thought to whinge to Schneider. “It became once important to be on his simply side,” the now-37-yr-light acknowledged of the All That author-producer, “and he made it known who became once on his simply side.”
A spokesperson for Schneider told E! Records, “Every thing that took situation on the presentations Dan ran became once moderately scrutinized by dozens of involved adults and common by the community. If there became once an exact peril with the scenes that some americans, now years later, are 'sexualizing,' they may perhaps well perhaps per chance be taken down, but they are usually no longer, they’re aired frequently all the draw thru the enviornment recently silent, loved by both kids and americans.”
“Remember, all tales, dialogue, costumes, and make-up had been fully common by community executives on two coasts,” the safe persevered. “A requirements and practices community study and one draw or the opposite common every script, and programming executives reviewed and common all episodes. Besides, day by day on every space, there had been constantly americans and caregivers and their visitors staring at filming and rehearsals. Had there been any scenes or outfits that had been execrable whatsoever, they would had been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.
“Sadly, some adults project their grownup minds onto kids' presentations, drawing fraudulent conclusions about them.”
Unrealistic Expectations
Katrina Johnson, who became once on All That between 1994 and 1997 and didn't act grand after the aughts, shared details from her time on the sketch demonstrate that the now-41-yr-light is silent disturbed by.
“In some unspecified time in the future the producers known as my dwelling and spoke to my americans and acknowledged, 'Hi there, Katrina's getting too elephantine. We have already obtained a elephantine one, she will't be the elephantine one,'” she alleged in Aloof on Role. While her mom and pop stuck up for her, she added, “I point out, that stuck with me. 'It is seemingly you’ll perhaps perhaps per chance't be the elephantine one.' I silent hear these words in my head to in this day and age.”
Soon after, Johnson acknowledged, she hit puberty and now no longer regarded cherish a youngster, so she became once at closing “edged out…by a youthful version of me.”
Relating to the moderately a host of recollections within the ID series, Nickelodeon told NBC Records in an announcement:
“Although we can’t corroborate or instruct allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a topic of coverage investigates all formal complaints as fragment of our dedication to fostering a protected and professional situation of labor atmosphere free of harassment or assorted styles of execrable behavior. Our greatest priorities are the well-being and most effective interests no longer simply of our workers, casts and crew, but of all kids, and we now have adopted moderately a host of safeguards over the years to encourage effect distinct we are living up to our have high requirements and the expectations of our viewers.”
No longer the Factual Tone
Bryan Christopher Hearne, who became once on seasons seven and eight of All That, became once tasked with playing the youngest rapper of all time, “Lil Fetus,” but another persona requiring a skintight bodysuit. He acknowledged within the ID series that he overheard someone on space mumble that the “pores and skin tone needs to be charcoal.”
The crack made him “teary-eyed,” he recalled, but by then he became once too scared to expose his mother, Tracey Browne, who had already developed a recognition on space for being rapidly to recount up in her son's protection. Which, in accordance with both Browne and Hearne within the docuseries, became once frowned upon.
“I turned an oddball,” Browne acknowledged. On the identical time, she acknowledged, it didn't shuffle pushed aside to her that her son became once being requested to play Dim stereotypes. To illustrate, she acknowledged, Hearne playing the feature of a kid hustling Girl Scout-form cookies within the draw of someone promoting medication.
Castmate Kyle Sullivan, even though he known as out Schneider for being weirdly into goo-centric jokes, acknowledged in Aloof on Role that he “most frequently had a simply relationship with Dan.”
In Hearne's thought, on the opposite hand, Schneider “had a nicer relationship with among the most more than a few white kids. My time on Nickelodeon performed a tall fragment in how I dealt and silent contend with racial factors.”
A spokesperson for Schneider diusputed this characterization, noting the producer's “lengthy historic previous prominently featuring Dim actors in his tv presentations,” apart from his subsequent TV and film initiatives with All That breakout stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.
Two for the Designate of One
It wasn't simply the young americans who recall experiencing a toxic work situation on these Schneider-bolt presentations, in accordance with Aloof on Role.
Jenny Kilgen acknowledged within the ID series that, when she and Christy Stratton had been employed as writers on The Amanda Showcase in 1999, they had been requested to destroy up a wage, as in their blended salaries had been equal to what one author in their situation became once speculated to effect.
But, as Kilgen recalled, she became once hungry for work and didn't are looking out to press her success by complaining. She additionally acknowledged she didn't retain off when Schneider requested if he may perhaps well perhaps simply name her and Stratton “the ladies” as an different of by name.
Furthermore, both ladies acknowledged, Schneider would effect comments about ladies no longer being comical, and he'd play demeaning pranks.
On but another event, when Schneider created the persona of “Penelope Taynt” for Bynes to play on The Amanda Showcase, Stratton and Kilgen acknowledged he advised them now to no longer expose community execs that the name became once an meant double entendre, they occasionally kept their mouths shut for scare of his wrath.
When Kilgen discovered out that their destroy up wage became once against union solutions, she told the Writers Guild of The United States. Kilgen acknowledged Schneider known as her at dwelling and told her that, if he ever discovered out for distinct that she became once the one who reported him, that she'd never work for Nickelodeon or any assorted Viacom-owned entity all but again.
Aloof on Role notorious: “Dan Schneider denies Jenny's claims and states that he had no control over salaries.”
A spokesperson for Schneider reiterated as grand to E! Records, noting The Amanda Showcase became once produced by a assorted firm (Tollin/Robbins), but even on presentations he created, salaries “had been managed by the community and additionally by the WGA.”
As for these recollections of Schneider's behavior, “unfortunately writers' rooms had been on the total off-color locations, particularly extra than twenty years ago,” the spokesperson acknowledged.
“Dan is extremely sorry for his behavior that contributed to that atmosphere and he has grown a lot since then. That behavior is clearly corrupt and no longer for the location of labor, and completely he would never act that draw all but again.”
Where Drake Bell Is Now
“I undergo in mind all of the abusive events but, every thing outdoors of that, is extraordinarily blurry to me,” Bell acknowledged within the series. “Which is a bummer because I skilled a host of enormous issues in my lifestyles and my occupation for the interval of all this time, but it became once so overshadowed and ruined by what I became once going thru on the within.”
The actor, who shares a son with estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling (they separated in 2022), pleaded responsible in 2021 to one depend every of attempted youngster endangerment and disseminating topic atrocious to juveniles after exchanging texts with a minor. He became once sentenced to community service and probation.
Bell acknowledged on his behalf in a video posted online that he'd exchanged “reckless and irresponsible” texts with a fan, no longer realizing the fan became once a minor, but ceased verbal change as soon as he discovered out. “I are looking out to effect obvious,” he acknowledged, “there had been no sexual photography, nothing bodily between me and this particular person.”
His have journey as a teen “led to a host of self-destruction and a host of self-loathing,” Bell acknowledged within the series. “I’d strive to simply destroy out with alcohol abuse, substance abuse, in actuality simply the leisure to destroy out.” As for his 2021 arrest, “I took accountability for that, did what became once requested of me, however the media grabbed a assist of so grand misinformation, and it fully destroyed me. And I started to lumber uncontrolled.”
In April 2023 he became once reported missing in Daytona Beach, Fla., but he turned up the next day and laughed it off. “You proceed your cell phone within the auto and don't reply for the evening and this?” he tweeted on the time. Earlier that yr, on the opposite hand, he had reportedly sought outpatient treatment for substance abuse.
In the series, the Ready Precise Hasten! artist acknowledged that if he'd “persevered down that path,” it may perhaps per chance probably probably perhaps perhaps need been the live of him.
He hit “all-time low,” he persevered, so he checked into treatment, the build aside he sooner or later underwent danger and trauma remedy, “surrounded by americans who for the first time in a in point of fact very lengthy time desired to only look me increase.”
Dan Schneider Would “Bag Issues Otherwise”
Schneider's bolt at Nickelodeon ended in 2018 when the community canceled his series Game Shakers after three seasons, whereas Henry Risk persevered on for a fifth. In a laudatory joint assertion referencing his “string of lasting, groundbreaking hits,” the community thanked the producer and his Schneider's Bakery crew for his or her “immeasurable contributions to Nickelodeon,” whereas Schneider acknowledged they would “constantly remain tall followers of the community.”
But reports mercurial followed that his ouster became once the of too many complaints made in regards to the prolific yell material creator's behavior within the submit-#MeToo abilities. (Four americans with files of the overview told the Current York Times in 2021 that an inner investigation distinct that Schneider may perhaps well perhaps very well be verbally abusive but discovered no proof of sexual misconduct.)
He acknowledged in an announcement to Aloof on Role that “right here is no longer an correct description” of why he and Nickelodeon parted ways. “On the opposite hand,” he added, “recently, I’d fully effect some issues otherwise. I've learned a lot over the years about how to be a greater boss.”
Source credit : eonline.com
