Although Zac Efron has been touted as the intended recipient of High School Musical co-star and rumored girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens' notorious nude picture, the actor is not the only one caught in the maelstrom of this scandal.  Drake Bell, who is one half of Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh, has recently been implicated as the original inspiration for Hudgens' misguided actions.

According to an anonymous source from People magazine, the young actress allegedly e-mailed pictures of herself in all her naked glory to Drake Bell two years ago.  According to the report, Hudgens sent the revealing images as an ardent fan, before she herself rose to fame and stardom.

Jill Fritzo, representative for the Drake & Josh star, has stated that Drake Bell has no knowledge of said photos.

"Drake says he never received those photos," Fritzo told People.

Hudgens and Bell had previously worked together on a 2006 episode of Drake & Josh, where the High School Musical sensation played Drake's girlfriend.

News of Bell's alleged involvement in the nude picture debacle came a couple of days following Hudgens' public apology for her error in judgment.

“I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me," the 18-year old embattled actress had said.  “I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos.  I am thankful for the support of my family and friends.”

In a separate statement, her publicist lamented how a very private matter had inadvertently been released to the public.

"This was a photo, which was taken privately," Hudgens' publicist had said about the naked picture that found its way all over the internet.  "It is a personal matter and it is unfortunate that this has become public."

In other Drake & Josh news, the film Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp will debut on Nick India on September 23 at 11am, with an encore telecast at 7pm.


-Rosario Santiago, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: People, Indiantelevision.com
(Image Courtesy of Flixster)