James Marsden faces angry backlash from Quiet on Set viewers
IDFollowing the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which lifts the curtain on Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon empire, actor James Marsden is facing an angry backlash online.
The news arrives after Investigation Discovery’s latest true crime series reveals that Marsden was among the long list of industry figures who wrote a letter of support for Brian Peck during his 2004 child abuse case.
Quiet on Set producers unsealed the 41 letters, with an excerpt from Marsden’s reading: “I assure you, what Brian has been through in the last year is the suffering of 100 men.” The X-Men star’s Instagram posts have since been flooded with angry messages.
In his latest, shared on March 12, one person said, “You wrote a letter of support for Brian Peck!!! ‘His intentions are always good’ wtf!” Another asked, “Why did you support a child abusing low life?”
ID“Apologize to Drake Bell,” demanded a third, while a fourth commented, “Why did you defend a child sexual predator?” And a fifth wrote, “As someone who has always enjoyed your work, I feel incredibly disgusted and disappointed at your support for a child abuser.”
Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of child sex abuse against a Nickelodeon star. Although the actor was not named, Drake Bell reveals his identity as the victim for the first time in Quiet on Set.
In the documentary series, he describes the extensive abuse he experienced as a child at the hands of Peck, who was his dialogue coach and previously starred as Nickelodeon’s “Pickle Boy.”
Another revelation in Quiet on Set is that Peck had a pen pal relationship with serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Viewers were also shocked to discover that, after his arrest, he went on to work on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody for Disney.
Marsden isn’t the only Peck supporter facing heat online. Growing Pains actor Joanna Kerns wrote in her letter: “I can only believe that there must have been some extreme situation or temptation exerted upon him to influence his actions.”
She has since shared a statement with the Quiet on Set producers which reads: “I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation. Knowing what I know now, I never would have written the letter.”
Marsden is yet to publicly respond to the backlash.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is available on ID and Max, which you can sign up for here. Read more about Brian Peck’s connection to John Wayne Gacy here, and check out all of the true crime and documentaries heading to streaming this month here.
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