Drake Bell spoke to and forgives Rider Strong

[pepsi_twist9]

I just had the most amazing conversation with @RiderStrong we are all healing together. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for him.
- DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) April 5, 2024

As a follow-up to this post Drake has tweeted that he did speak to Rider and that he forgives them. No word on Will Friedle

Source: Twitter

Comments

[green_monsterx]

Brian Peck was also employed on BMW and was close with Will & Rider. They would hang out all the time outside of the job, remained friends with the show ended, etc. In 2003, I think, was the court case against Brian Peck for what he did to Drake Bell (unnamed until the documentary). Rider, who was 24 at the time, and Will (27), wrote letters in support of Peck and sat on his side of the courtroom during the case. They did an hour long podcast about it before the documentary and the crux of it was that they didn't know the full charges he was accused of, that Peck admitted that he had relations with Drake, but that it was consensual and basically he used the "jailbait" reasoning and the two of them believed their friend. Will told a story on the podcast where at the trial, Drake's mom turned around and said something along the lines of, "Look at all your famous friends you brought here. It still doesn't change what you did to my son."

On the podcast, imo, Will sounded genuinely sickened and remorseful whereas idk, Rider sounded less so? He waffled a lot and at one point even made a comment about why are we digging this up now, he served his time, why are we trying to ruin his life and said it made him uncomfortable to talk about. This is why, imo, he singled out that he spoke to Rider specifically bc honestly, Rider gave me the ick in that episode.

[skyler_white_yo]

I thought Rider has back tracked? Guess not. Gross.

[green_monsterx]

I'm sure he has - i listened to the episode once when it aired, i think in february?, and i just remember being grossed out that while on one hand he WAS saying he regretted it and it was wrong, but on the other hand, he still seemed like he wanted to protect Brian Peck and it was just not good

edit: Drake had even commented specifically singling Rider out on a post Alexa Nikolas made about it

[rainbows_are_ok]

I honestly started to wonder if him and Brian are still friends.

[anna_bea2]

I remember he also was upset because it made their ~industry look bad?? Like shut the fuck up lol. Your industry (along with many others) is FILLED with predators and the predators are protected while the survivors are attacked.

I'm glad that he reached out to Drake though - but the way he spoke on the podcast left a really bad taste in my mouth.

[veritas_44]

I can’t believe I’ve been listening to this podcast for so long but it has made me feel that Rider is fundamentally an unhappy person who can’t handle hard conversations despite believing himself to be ~deep~ and smarter than most.

[green_monsterx]

Honestly, I agree. Even the way he talks about his childhood, I’m kinda like were you ever happy??

It’s funny bc when j first started listening, it was Danielle that kind of rubbed me the wrong way but now she’s kinda the only one I’m not really bothered by. Will gives me conservative white man vibes often

[alienjive]

Sounds like Shawn Hunter lol

[green_monsterx]

Tbh I think they made Shawn like him to try to make him happier. That’s why all of a sudden Shawn wasn’t a giant idiot and loved poetry and writing and classical music where before, he was all about shenanigans and eating and having to be bribed to take the SAT with cake

[rainbows_are_ok]

This. He is so fucking miserable. Then and now. When he talked about being upset that his friend didn't just sit in the room the whole time with him during that cruise, I knew he had to be an absolute chore to be around.

[veritas_44]

I remember being flabbergasted by that lol

[swissbeauty23]

it was consensual and basically he used the "jailbait" reasoning and the two of them believed their friend

I hate them both now honestly. this is unequivocally evil.

[green_monsterx]

IA but I also have mixed feelings. This was during a time where the internet wasn’t exactly like it is now and I can believe the full charges weren’t out there. This was also a time where it was very normal for teens to be dating older people - Hilary and Joel, Lindsay and Wilmer, etc. I think drake himself said he doesn’t blame people for writing those letters because of the manipulation used and they didn’t have all the right information. Riders respond now, in 2024, however, was completely off

[swissbeauty23]

I think what makes it a tougher pill for me to swallow is A) how old they both were at the time, not teens but grown men B) how much Rider waffles on the podcast and seems slightly defensive even now and C) that Will is utterly silent

it's...sticky

[green_monsterx]

Oh, I def agree. Rider in particular I’m just like…’😬. I do think Will sounded more remorseful and regretful on the podcast, but I also agree he should be releasing another statement now that the documentary is out and we have a better understanding of what happened

[swissbeauty23]

yeah and listen I'm a HUGE Boy Meets World fan and loved them both so so much growing up so this is especially tough for me. Like I want to believe they're both good people at heart I just...this is all so gross to me even now, even with context. sigh.

*edited to add it's also a big red flag these these two were happily FRIENDS with a man who was such an obvious fucking creep. yeah I'm sure he "groomed" them in some way as kids to like him and that's horrible to think about too, but the guy proudly showed off his letters to John Wayne Gacy. maybe as a child they might not get that but as adults? they didn't find that a LITTLE BIT WEIRD?

idk I don't trust men. I feel like when push comes to shove, they love going so hard at supporting each other at their absolute most depraved.