
Kids TV star admits he's ‘struggling to pay rent' after being underpaid for huge hit shows
Kids TV star Drake, 39, opened up about his financial struggles in a new interview, claiming his work with Nickelodeon hasn't provided the long-term security many people assume.
5
The actor shot to fame on The Amanda Show and later became a household name thanks to Drake & Josh, which ran for three years and remains hugely popular in reruns.
But despite the show's lasting success, Drake says he's far from wealthy - and is still worried about how to pay the bills.
Appearing on The Unplanned Podcast, he said public assumptions about his wealth couldn't be further from the truth.
He said: '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. Like, I saw you on TV. You're rich.'
'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.'
Drake said that unlike the contracts seen by many adult stars, his Nickelodeon deals involved one-off payments.
This means he doesn't earn anything when his shows air today - even as they continue to reach new audiences via streaming and syndication.
He said: "If I had a fair contract, I'd be seeing money from that work now."
He pointed to the cast of Friends as an example of how different things could've looked.
Drake added: 'The Friends cast at the peak was making a million dollars an episode. You make 13 episodes that year, you make $13,000,000. You make 20 episodes that year, you make $20,000,000, right?
Drake Bell tells Today Show kept his 'child sex abuse a secret' because he was afraid of the reaction
'But right now, each cast member of Friends just in syndication alone is making over $20,000,000 a year, and they're not filming a show every week.
"They're not going to work, but they're playing their show and they're using their likeness and they're doing all this, so they get paid for it.'
Even as his own show lands in the Netflix top 10, Drake says he's figuring out how to cover rent, continuing: 'Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month."
'And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom just going [chuckles]. What do you call it? It's just like getting high on child labor.'
He added that many people don't realise how little control young performers have behind the scenes: 'People don't understand how the business works, the business side of this. They just see what the perception is on Instagram and social media and all the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood.
'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.'
Drake also alleged that he experienced sexual abuse while working on set, saying the challenges he's faced as an adult are the result of deep-rooted issues within the industry.
He said: 'It's a lot of evil, corrupt people. That's the only thing, that is the answer. 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. There are three channels doing marathons.'
Drake's finances aren't the only part of his past under scrutiny.
In 2021, he was sentenced to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to child endangerment involving a teenage fan.
The case involved a girl who met Drake online when she was 12 and later attended one of his shows in Ohio at 15.
In court, she accused him of grooming her from an early age and of sexually abusing her.
However, Drake wasn't charged with any sexual offences.
Speaking about the case last year, he denied any abuse and said he only pleaded guilty because he was in no position to fight a legal battle.
'I responded on some DMs and was incredibly irresponsible and got myself into conversations that I shouldn't have had,'
He said on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast: "I responded on some DMs and was incredibly irresponsible and got myself into conversations that I shouldn't have had.
'I ended up finding out that I was talking to someone that I shouldn't have been talking to, and it snowballed into these allegations that were not true, and it just turned into this big thing.'
Drake said he pleaded guilty because he had just become a father and couldn't afford a drawn-out trial.
He claimed: '[I] ended up pleading guilty, because financially I was just devastated, and I had just had a son and I didn't want to put my family through all of this anymore.
'I ended up going through the process the way that I did. Very regretful.'
He said he wasn't aware of the girl's age when they first interacted online, and once he found out, he claims he ended communication.
'I was doing everything I could to kind of keep my distance,' he said.
Drake also insisted that some of the most serious claims were investigated and found to be untrue.
He said: 'A lot of the things she said about sending inappropriate pictures and things like this, it was able to be investigated and show that none of that existed.'
Still, he admitted fault for having the conversations in the first place, saying: 'I did have those conversations and I took responsibility for that.'
Reflecting on his past decisions, Drake said: 'There's just so much that I've had to deal with, and through that, like I said, not having the tools or not knowing how to process things, I made a lot of decisions in my life that I shouldn't have made and hurt a lot of people.
'But now, where I am in my life now, I think that I'm finally at a place where I can process and deal with this through therapy that I've been through and actively going through, unearthing all of these things and being able to face them head on for really the first time in my life.'
5
5
5
5
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Country star causes outrage after singing for women to 'give up rights' and 'tale a slap' in controversial talk show appearance
An American musician sparked outrage after singing she would 'give up a few rights' and 'take a slap' if it meant she'd be treated more respectfully by men - in some divisive lyrics. Country star Jessie Murph, 20, performed the controversial tune on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with the lines yearning for her beau to 'love her like it's 1965'. Her ballad was also nostalgic for a time period where courting gentlemen were 'handwriting letters' and 'showing up at the door with flowers' instead of 'hit[ting] [women] up on Snapchat ' at 2am. The star donned a Priscilla Presley beehive and a baby pink mini dress with patterned tights as she danced on a stage with a retro sofa in what appears to be a recreation of the 'tradwife' lifestyle, charming husband on hand. The term refers to women who perform 'traditional' gendered roles, often likened to the archetypal 1950s 'housewife'. Recent interest in the aesthetic has seen millions on social media calling for girls to ditch corporate life and instead, dedicate their days to cooking, cleaning, wearing modest and feminine dress, and practicing traditional etiquette - as well as being submissive to their husbands. Jessie's tune attracted fury online, with many branding the remark 'tasteless' for making light of a time in which women endured horrific misogyny. In both England and the US, marital rape was still legal during the era, and women could not open their own bank account, among other restrictions. 'In 1965, it was legal for men to rape their wives. I don't care if this is meant to be ironic or satirical or whatever, I absolutely hate it,' one commenter on social media penned. Another added: 'Like what does loving like it's 1965 even mean? Getting your a** beat? having no rights is romantic? I hate the white woman 50s-60s "aesthetic".' A third simply exclaimed: '"I think id give up a few rights if you would just love me like it's 1965" SORRY?????' 'Call me too woke but "I would give up rights if you love me like it's 1965" at a time where women are actually losing rights is so insane???' another offered. Others similarly agreed, writing: 'Has anyone else heard the song 1965 by Jessie Murph? 'Read the lyrics, it's literally far right propaganda that is encouraging women to give up their rights. People are saying it's satire but given everything going on, why say this while we are literally at risk of losing our rights ??'. She's not the only performer to have attracted backlash for similar aesthetics in recent months. In June, Sabrina Carpenter announced her new album Man's Best Friend - but the cover art for the upcoming release sparked fierce criticism from fans. During an Instagram Live, the 26-year-old pop singer shared a video of herself flipping through a stack of records by Donna Summer, ABBA, and Dolly Parton, before stopping on her own, revealing Man's Best Friend. Jessie's lyrics attracted fury online, with many believing the remark was tasteless and made light of a period of horrific misogyny for women Earlier this year, Jessie turned up at the ACM Awards 2025 in Texas with a baby piglet in her arms The teaser gave a peek at the album cover, showing Carpenter on all fours while a person dressed in black slacks — whose face is not visible — pulls her blonde hair. She also posted a close-up image of a heart-shaped dog collar engraved with Man's Best Friend. The highly sexualized and provocative album art quickly drew backlash, and she later released a more conservative alternative. After her performance, Jessie thanked the Tonight show for a 'dazzling' and 'grand time'. The Alabama-born singer first rose to fame from uploading vlogs and song covers to TikTok and YouTube - which led her on to releasing her two albums: That Ain't No Man That's the Devil in 2024 and Sex Hysteria in 2025. She also received backlash when the music video for her song, 1965, was released - with some accusing the footage of being pornography, Taste of Country reported. In the retro-inspired clips that shows a family around a table - and Jessie forlornly singing to a child - as there is also a brief shot of a couple having sex. The clip - which has to have age verification to be watched - drew comments like 'the fact that YouTube removes videos for way less and this is still up is insane' and having a child in this video, especially just before a sexual scene, is wild'. The track also includes risque lines like 'I might get a little slap-slap, but you wouldn't hit me on Snapchat' and 'I would be twenty, and it'd be acceptable for you to be forty'. Jessie resorted to taking to TikTok to insist that 'the entire song is satire', quipping: 'Are y'all stupid?'. It's not the first time Jessie sparked attention in the media. In May, the singer turned heads at the ACM awards 2025 after she bizarrely rocked up on the red carpet with a baby pig. Talking to Entertainment Tonight before the show, she introduced the 'little guy' as Wilbur. 'I just decided that I wanted a pig, and I've always wanted one my whole life,' she explained. 'I've always wanted a mini pig, and then I find out that miniature pigs don't exist.'


Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Nicola Benedetti on marrying a man 25 years her senior
As one of the best-known violinists in the world, Nicola Benedetti enjoys a stellar public profile. Yet she has maintained a strict secrecy around her private life, even though it has been long-rumoured in music circles. Now she has confirmed for the first time that she is married to Wynton Marsalis, the celebrated jazz musician who is 25 years her senior, and they have a baby daughter. They met professionally when she was 17 and he was 42, and much later began a romantic relationship. Benedetti has publicly shared the joys of motherhood but did not, until now, confirm the identity of the father. Speaking to the Telegraph, Benedetti, 38, said of her marriage to Marsalis, 63, who counts former US president Barack Obama among his admirers: 'I think it's pretty much out there now. I really don't care any more if people want to write about it or not.' Explaining why she has not talked about her relationship with Marsalis, with whom she has collaborated on musical projects for many years, Benedetti said: 'I don't tend to discuss my private life because people don't come to my concerts because of whom I'm in a relationship with. They come because I play the violin.' Benedetti was 17 when she travelled to New York to attend the American Academy of Achievement summit as a student-delegate. A year earlier, she had won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. She performed in the company of Marsalis, a trumpeter who was the first jazz musician to receive the Pulitzer Prize. 'When we met then, I was already a huge fan, and we just kept in touch as good friends,' Benedetti once explained. Marsalis has said they felt 'a certain type of kinship'. Many years later, Marsalis wrote a violin concerto for Benedetti, although in a joint interview they joked about not remembering who had proposed the idea. Marsalis said: 'It's like a scene from When Harry Met Sally. I don't know if I said it or she said it.' They have continued to collaborate and perform together. Benedetti, from Ayrshire in Scotland, is artistic director of the Edinburgh International Festival and had her daughter in May 2024. Marsalis also has a teenage daughter and two adult sons from previous relationships. The 'Pied Piper' of jazz Marsalis started playing the trumpet at the age of six and went on to become a key figure in the jazz renaissance of the 1980s. He has been credited with rekindling interest in the genre, has been referred to as the 'Pied Piper' of jazz and won nine Grammy awards during his career. He is currently the artistic director of Jazz at the Lincoln Center, in New York. Benedetti told the Telegraph that she has begun to question her upbringing, during which her mother made her and her older sister practise the violin for three hours every day during the school holidays. 'My daughter is only one, but my sister has two children, aged three and five, and seeing her experience has definitely made me consider my own childhood,' she said. 'But both of us have a realistic, even a positive view of our upbringing. It was very strict – we feared upsetting our parents, or doing the wrong thing – but we also knew we were loved to death by our mum and dad.' She believes that today's young people are less willing to make the sacrifices required to become a world-class musician, saying: 'I think young people have become used to a lack of basic discipline in their daily lives – and that really worries me.'


Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Labubu fans dote over ugly-cute doll trending at Comic-Con
SAN DIEGO, July 27 (Reuters) - San Diego Comic-Con is the latest location where the ugly-cute dolls named Labubu have been trending, with fans carrying the plushies globally popularized by celebrities Rihanna, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink. The wide-eyed and grinning doll was created in 2015 by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung allowed them to be sold by Pop Mart ( opens new tab, a Chinese toy company that sells collectible figurines, often in "blind boxes". "Blind boxes" are sealed boxes containing a surprise item that is usually part of a themed collection. Naomi Galban, from San Diego, waited in line on Sunday at the Pop Mart booth in the San Diego Convention Center for a chance to get her first Labubu. "Every time I go to a Pop Mart store, they're sold out," the 24-year-old told Reuters. She hoped to buy one for her little sister. Emily Brough, Pop Mart's Head of IP Licensing, spoke to Reuters on Thursday about Labubu fans at Comic-Con. "We love to see how fans are personalizing it (Labubu) for themselves," Brough said next to the Pop Mart booth. While Brough noted that there were many people with a Labubu strapped to their bags and backpacks at Comic-Con, the doll's popularity did not happen overnight. Labubus had a huge boost in 2019 after Pop Mart began selling them, and in 2024, when Blackpink's Lisa, who is Thai, created a buying frenzy in Thailand after she promoted Labubu on social media. Pop Mart saw sales skyrocket in North America that same year, with revenue in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 already surpassing the full-year U.S. revenue from 2024, Pop Mart said. When he created Labubu, Lung gave the character, who is female, a backstory inspired by Nordic mythology. He called her and his other fictional creatures "The Monsters." Diana Goycortua, 25, first discovered Labubu through social media, and before she knew it, it felt like a "game" to try and collect the dolls. "It's a little bit of gambling with what you're getting," the Labubu fan from San Diego said on Sunday while waiting at the Pop Mart booth, concluding that her love for the character made it worth trying blind boxes. Goycortua already has three Labubus, and was hoping to score her a fourth one at Comic-Con.