Beth and Rich Correll, directors of Disney Channel, apologized after the broadcast of the documentary "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" for defending Brian Peck. The former Nickelodeon dialogue coach and supporting actor made headlines again when Drake Bell revealed that he was the child performer who had suffered sexual abuse by Peck in 2003, when he was accused of committing this crime.
At that time, the young man's identity was hidden but now Drake Bell himself revealed that he was the plaintiff and that he saw how a part of the industry turned its back on him and supported Brian Peck. Among them were Beth and Rich Correll, directors of the Disney Channel who, at that time, were working on series such as "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" or "Boy Meets World." Both wrote a letter in which they defended Peck and which, it has just been discovered, was part of the trial against the pedophile.
Not only that, when Peck got out of prison, he was given a job on the series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." It is true that he was limited to being a voice-over and did not have any type of interaction with the cast, but he got a job right after leaving prison and in a children's fiction. A job from which Disney Channel fired him after learning of the crime for which he had been convicted.
Beth and Rich Correll say they are devastated "for being on the wrong side of a horrific situation" and for hiring him at Disney Channel
However, Beth and Rich Correll continued to support him. Until now. After the broadcast of "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," both directors had no choice but to claim that they were wrong and that they had defended a criminal. They did so through a letter, obtained exclusively by Variety, in which they stated that they felt devastated "for being on the wrong side of a horrific situation":
We extend our deepest apologies to Drake Bell and his family, and we deeply regret our decision many years ago to request leniency for someone who we later learned had committed a horrible crime and caused so much pain and trauma to Drake and others. If we had known the truth at the time the letters were written, we never would have written them. There are no words to express how awful we feel for being on the wrong side of a horrific situation and the trauma it caused you, Drake. We are devastated that we unwittingly supported the unsupportable.
Along with this, the Corrells, who continue to be behind the cameras in several children's fiction on both Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, assured that their main priority is the "safety of children":
Our biggest priority having worked on many sets throughout the years was the safety of children. We would never knowingly put any child in danger. We are saddened and appalled to hear all the in-depth details following the release of ‘Quiet on the Set.’ Children must be protected and should always be in a safe environment both at work, and at home. Drake, you are in our hearts, we are proud of your bravery, and we hope that now you are able to heal. Again, we are so sorry.
