Women who claimed they suffered abuse from child star Drake Bell are being relentlessly harassed online after the Quiet on Set docuseries debuted, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In the four-part Investigation Discovery documentary series, Bell spoke publicly for the first time about the sexual abuse he endured from Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
Peck pleaded no contest to two of the 11 disturbing charges back in 2004. He was later sentenced to 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender.
Melissa Lingafelt, a former girlfriend of the iCarly actor, said she was subject to cruel messages from Bell's fans who casted doubt on her claims of physical and emotional abuse, which Bell denied, back in 2020. The two dated from 2006 to 2009.
One message sent to Lingafelt said that she should be "utterly, and disgracefully disgusted" with herself for coming forward with her allegations against Bell years ago, NBC News reported.
"Sharing one's personal experiences of abuse can be a complex and challenging process, and it can potentially help raise awareness about the prevalence of abuse and the need for support and healing," she wrote in response. "However, it's crucial to remember that speaking out about one’s own experiences does not automatically absolve someone of the responsibility for their harmful behavior towards others."
Bell would later plead guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating harmful material to a juvenile in 2021, following which he was sentenced to two years of probation.
At the time, he had accepted a plea deal stemming from charges related to a girl who met him online and attended one of his concerts when she was 15.
During an impact statement during Bell's sentencing, the juvenile claimed he had groomed, sexually assaulted, and sent sexually explicit messages to her when she was a minor.
Bell was never charged with sexual assault and denied those claims.
While addressing the ordeal, Bell explained that he "made mistakes" by responding to "a fan whose age I didn't know," while confessing to sending "reckless and irresponsible text messages."
He clarified that when he "became aware of their age, all conversation and communication stopped," insisting that he never sent "sexual images" nor did anything "physical" ever happen.
Viral TikTok videos posted about the case with millions of views claim that Bell was falsely accused during his 2021 legal battle.
A rep for TikTok said it removed the search suggestion with the woman's real first name for violating its community guidelines.
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In the new docuseries, Bell spoke about his trauma after his encounters with Peck, revealing the abuse impacted his well-being. He shared, "There was definitely a slow decline in my mental health and sobriety, I mean, DUIs, behaviors that were happening because I was, I was lost."