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Drake Bell and some of his fellow Nickelodeon alum spoke in support of their parents after some viewers called them out following the revelations in the Quiet on Set docu-series. Drake and All That stars Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne defended their parents from people who have raised questions about what their responsibilities are to a child performer during a panel discussion at a screening of the documentary in Los Angeles.
When speaking about people who have criticized parents, Drake explained that oftentimes parents are learning alongside their children. “We hear a lot ‘Where were their parents?’” he said, via Entertainment Weekly. “Some of these were our first jobs. Some of these were our parents’ first time on a set, and they’re just learning along with us. So to say ‘Oh, the parents should have stepped in with this and that’ — no, there should be somebody who’s experienced that can see, oh you know what, this child seems uncomfortable, I’m gonna be able to take him or her with their parent and bring them over here.”
The Amanda Show star continued and said that it can be difficult for child actors’ parents to step in with the same authority that someone with more experience would. “They’re just learning along with us and don’t have the experience on these movie sets to be able to push and pull their weight,” he said.
Bryan and Giovonnie also agreed that there should be someone on set who is trained to deal with children and help if they feel uncomfortable. Giovonnie also highlighted work by the Looking Ahead program from the Entertainment Community Fund. “It needs to be somebody that’s not just production. You need a liaison between production and parent and child,” she said.
The bombshell docu-series Quiet on Set brought a number of allegations of misconduct to light, including Drake revealing that he’d been sexually assaulted by a dialogue coach. The series has led to a few other former Nickelodeon stars coming forward to speak out and share their experiences. Following the documentary’s release, Nickelodeon released a statement. “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,” they said.
The statement continued, “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
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