The cast of the popular sitcom ‘Boy Meets World’ has opened up about their experiences with Brian Peck, a guest star who was later convicted of sexually abusing a child on the show.
In a special episode of their podcast ‘Pod Meets World’, Will Friedle, Rider Strong and Danielle Fishel discussed how Peck befriended them and became a part of their lives, despite being much older than them. They also shared how they felt when they learned about his crimes and the impact it had on them.
Peck appeared in two episodes of ‘Boy Meets World’ in season 5, playing a teacher and a director. He was also a dialogue coach on several kids’ TV shows, including some produced by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. In 2004, he pleaded no contest to charges of committing a lewd act against a child on the set of ‘Boy Meets World’. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and required to register as a sex offender.
Friedle said that Peck had ingratiated himself into his life and that he took him to three shows after ‘Boy Meets World’. He said that Peck presented himself as a “great, funny guy” who was good at his job and that he saw him every day. He also said that Peck called him crying after his arrest and tried to blame his victim.
Strong said that he and Peck also spent a lot of time together outside of work and that he considered him a friend. He said that he was shocked and angry when he found out about Peck’s abuse and that he felt betrayed and violated.
Fishel said that the cast members would routinely spend time with Peck, who was gay, and that they did not question his motives or boundaries. She said that they were naive and trusting and that they did not realize the signs of grooming and manipulation. She also said that they felt guilty and ashamed for not speaking up or noticing anything wrong.
The podcast episode featured marriage and family therapist Kati Morton, who explained the dynamics of grooming and the effects of childhood sexual abuse on victims. She also offered advice on how to cope and heal from such trauma.
The podcast hosts said that they decided to talk about Peck after being asked to provide a statement for an upcoming documentary series called ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’, which exposes the toxic and dangerous culture on the sets of Schneider’s Nickelodeon shows. They said that they wanted to use their platform to raise awareness and support survivors of abuse.
‘Boy Meets World’ was a coming-of-age sitcom that aired on ABC from 1993 to 2000. It followed the lives of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), his friends and his family as they faced various challenges and lessons. It was a spin-off of ‘The Wonder Years’ and spawned a sequel series called ‘Girl Meets World’ that aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017.
