Former Nickelodeon actor Devon Werkheiser has issued an apology to his former co-star Drake Bell after making jokes about the alleged sexual abuse that Bell and other actors experienced on-set. Werkheiser, known for his role in “Ned’s Declassified,” expressed remorse on X (formerly Twitter) for his previous comments, stating that he was “gutted” for hurting Bell.
The controversy arose after a clip of Werkheiser seemingly mocking the allegations of abuse and toxicity surrounding Dan Schneider and his production sets went viral. In the video, Werkheiser can be heard saying, “Get back in your hole Daniel, and give me holes,” before realizing the seriousness of the situation and apologizing. He acknowledged that the revelations from the “Quiet on Set” docuseries, which shed light on the alleged abuse, were “f— awful” and expressed shock that such incidents were not previously disclosed.
Werkheiser and his co-hosts from the “Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide,” including former co-star Lindsey Shaw, faced backlash on X for their perceived insensitivity towards the abuse suffered by actors on other Nickelodeon shows. While “Ned’s Declassified” aired on Nickelodeon, it was not produced by Schneider’s production company, which oversaw popular shows like “iCarly,” “Victorious,” and “All That.”
Critics argued that Werkheiser and his co-hosts should have shown solidarity with their peers, regardless of the differences in their respective sets. Former “Zoey 101” star Alexa Nikolas, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, expressed disappointment in seeing other Nickelodeon stars making light of such a serious issue.
Bell, who recently spoke out about the alleged abuse he faced from Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck in the “Quiet on Set” docuseries, responded to Werkheiser’s clip with a tweet, calling it “wild” and questioning the appropriateness of the jokes made. Bell revealed that Peck had worked his way into every aspect of his life during their time together on “All That” and “The Amanda Show.”
In response to Bell’s revelations, Nickelodeon issued a statement expressing dismay and sadness over the trauma he endured and commending his strength in coming forward. Werkheiser, after facing criticism from both social media fans and Bell himself, acknowledged the impact of his comments and issued a statement expressing his horror at the gravity of the abuse shared by Bell and others. He apologized for compounding any hurt caused.
Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet on Set” docuseries has reignited interest in the controversies surrounding Dan Schneider’s TV legacy. Schneider, in a nearly 20-minute video released on Tuesday, addressed the allegations and expressed regret for the pain caused. He denied hiring Peck to his sets and emotionally recounted assisting Bell’s mother in preparing her testimony against the dialogue coach. Schneider acknowledged the hurt expressed by some individuals in the docuseries and expressed a desire to have done things differently in his career.
1 Response
In this post, it is mentioned that former Nickelodeon actor Devon Werkheiser has apologized to his former co-star Drake Bell. Werkheiser had previously made jokes about the alleged sexual abuse that Bell and other actors experienced while working on the Nickelodeon set.
It is commendable that Werkheiser has taken responsibility for his past actions and issued an apology. It shows growth and maturity on his part to acknowledge the seriousness of the issue and the impact his jokes may have had on Bell and