NICKELODEON producer Dan Schneider has broken his silence after he was accused of creating an emotionally abusive working environment in a bombshell documentary.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV gave an inside look at the allegedly sexual and turbulent conditions that child stars like Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell endured at the turn of the century.
A long-time writer and producer for Nickelodeon, Schneider’s relationship with the network ended in 2018 after allegations of misconduct came to light.
Former castmates and crew members have accused the prolific children’s television producer of being difficult to work with and verbally abusive toward his coworkers.
He’s also been blasted for allegedly sexualizing children through his shows as videos have emerged of him laughing in a hot tub with Bynes, 16 at the time, for a skit in The Amanda Show.
The producer was hit with more scrutiny after an acting coach named Brian Peck went to trial for sexually abusing a child in 2003.
Former Drake and Josh star Bell, who was a standout actor for Nickelodeon, revealed last week in the documentary that he was the John Doe who testified against Peck in the trial.
Bell accused Peck, who has no relation to Bell’s former co-star Josh Peck, of abusing him after he fell asleep on a couch in Peck’s apartment
During the trial, Peck pleaded no contest to charges of committing a lewd act against a child and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
He is now a registered sex offender.
Despite the drama and rumors, Schneider has denied ever facilitating inappropriate behavior and stood by his alleged innocence in a new statement.
“Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network,” a spokesperson for Schneider told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.”
Schneider’s spokesperson stressed that parents were always involved in the decision making process, and that all filming sets were open to adults and friends involved with the talent.
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