On February 19, the entire episode of Pod Meets World was dedicated by Fishel to their interactions with Brian Peck, a guest star on Boy Meets World and a convicted sexual offender. They were accompanied by family therapist Kati Morton to reflect on a time when Friedle felt they were “on the wrong side of everything.” Peck, who appeared in two episodes of Boy Meets World’s fifth season, formed a bond with both Friedle and Strong. The cast decided to address Peck’s actions as his episodes are soon to be discussed in the podcast, which typically focuses on episode recaps. Additionally, Peck’s story is set to be included in an upcoming docuseries that explores alleged past abuses on various Nickelodeon sets. Fishel revealed that both Strong and Friedle were asked to provide statements about Peck for this docuseries, titled Quiet on Set.
'Boy Meets World' actors Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle open up about their former friendship with season 5 guest star Brian Peck, who went on to be convicted of child molestation. https://t.co/D8NCrb7znq
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) February 19, 2024
“I didn’t really go to parties. I didn’t really do that stuff. But I was working a lot after Boy Meets World and this guy had so ingratiated himself into my life, I took him to three shows after Boy Meets World,” Friedle said. “The person he presented was this great, funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with. I saw him every day, hung out with him every day, talked to him every day.”
Despite a 20-year age difference, Strong mentioned that he used to spend a lot of time with Peck.
Fishel speculated that many adults on the Boy Meets World set refrained from questioning the relationship to avoid being perceived as homophobic. She suggested that these adults, who perhaps should have questioned why Peck was attending a party at Rider’s house, might have held back their concerns due to fear of being labeled homophobic. She emphasized that the issue was not about sexual orientation, but rather about maintaining appropriate boundaries between adults and children.
In 2003, Peck faced charges and was subsequently convicted for committing a lewd act against a minor and engaging in oral copulation with a person under 16. According to Friedle, Peck immediately began to frame his arrest in a way that shifted the blame onto his victim. Strong added that Peck portrayed himself as a victim of jailbait, and minimized the seriousness and quantity of his offenses. Strong noted that during that time, it wasn’t possible to use Google to find out what charges people were facing. In hindsight, while Peck was negotiating a plea deal and admitting to one offense — which was all he confessed to them — it appears he was actually facing multiple charges, a fact they were unaware of.
Friedle and Strong penned letters to the judge, advocating for their friend, and were present during the sentencing in court. “We found ourselves on the unfavorable side in that courtroom… The mother of the victim turned to us and said, ‘You’ve brought all these celebrities with you. But it doesn’t alter what you did to my child,’” Friedle recounted. “I was just sitting there, wishing I could disappear. I was thinking, ‘Why am I even here?’ It was a terrifying experience through and through.”
“We weren’t told the whole story, but it doesn’t change the fact that we did it,” Friedle said. “I still can’t get the words out to describe all of the things that I’m feeling inside of myself.”
Vulture has made efforts to reach out to Peck for a statement.
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