Drake Bell claims Nickelodeon doesn't pay residuals to child stars

Fox News

4 days ago

Drake Bell, a former child actor who found fame starring on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake & Josh," accused the network of not paying its stars.
Bell, 39, claimed he and co-star Josh Peck never received residuals for their show, which ran for three years on the kid-focused network before its final episode aired in 2007.
The actor, who previously revealed alleged abuse he suffered while working for Nickelodeon, addressed what he said was a misconception in the entertainment world.
"That's the perception of the world – it's always been this way: It's like, you know, 'Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. I saw you on TV, you're rich,'" Bell said during an appearance on "The Unplanned Podcast."
"That's far from the case. And especially – which is the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon – we don't get residuals for our shows."
Bell noted that most networks pay actors residuals for work used after its initial run, but said Nickelodeon only offers a one-time payment to actors.
Host Matt Howard wondered if the network was attempting to take advantage of stars due to their age, to which Bell said, "Keep going. Keep trying to figure it out."
"It's a lot of evil, corrupt people... that is the answer," Bell said. "There's no other answer. Do everything that they do to us mentally and emotionally, and then throw us to the wolves. And we're like, 'Okay, cool. I got rent this month.'"
The sitcom, which also received TV films in addition to video games and books, is still popular with audiences, Bell said.
"There are three channels doing 'Drake & Josh' marathons. Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month," Bell said. "And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom... It's just like getting high on child labor."
He continued, "We're putting in all of this work. This corporation is making billions with a 'B' off of us, and we're being compensated for the week of work, cool, but that's it. And forever, in perpetuity, it literally says in the contract, across universes and galaxies and planets.
"If Elon [Musk] gets us to Mars and they show 'Drake & Josh,' it's impossible for me to get paid for it."
Nickelodeon representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The documentary "Quiet on Set" premiered in March 2024, covering the bulk of Dan Schneider's time at Nickelodeon. As a showrunner, Schneider was alleged to have run a toxic workplace, discriminated against female writers on staff and made requests for massages from employees on set.
The most alarming claim from the documentary came from Bell, who detailed sexual abuse allegations against Brian Peck, an actor and dialogue coach hired by Nickelodeon.
Bell recalled the day the relationship went from uncomfortable to full-blown assault and abuse.
"I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep, and I woke up to him… I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. And I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react," Bell said. "And I had no idea how to get out of the situation… What do I do, call my mom, 'Hey, can you come pick me up? This just happened, I'll sit here and wait.' I had no car, I didn't drive. I was 15 at this time."
He continued, "The abuse was extensive. And it got pretty brutal, pretty brutal. I don't know, I really don't know how to elaborate on that on camera really."
When asked by a producer what he would feel comfortable talking about, Bell said, "Why don't you do this, why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault and that'll answer your question. I don't know how else to put it. It was not a one-time thing."
Nickelodeon issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the alleged behaviors on past production sets.
"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," the statement said. "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crews, 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."