Former Nickelodeon producer/writer Dan Schneider hit back at the team behind the bomb series Quiet on set: The Dark Side of Kids TV on Wednesday (May 1) in a lawsuit claiming the docu-series falsely implied he sexually abused child actors he worked with.
According to Associated PressSchneider filed a defamation suit against Warner Bros. Discovery and other companies behind the investigative series in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging in the lawsuit that the trailer and episodes of the series intentionally mixed and juxtaposed images and references of him with sex offenders highlighted in the show with the implication that he was involved .
Former teen actor Snyder (Head of the Class) parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018 after more than a decade at the center of some of the network's most successful, hit shows, including All these, The Amanda Show, Kenan & Kel and as its executive producer Zoey 101, iCarly and Victoriouswith the latter three respectively catapulting the careers of Jamie Lynn Spears, Miranda Cosgrove and Jenette McCurdy and Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande.
Snyder has been the focus of many stories Quiet, which interviewed the cast and crew of many of Schneider's most successful shows to describe how the sets he was responsible for often sexualized their young teenage stars in a sometimes tense, toxic work environment that some described as as abusive. The series originally aired on the ID channel in March and is now available to stream on Max.
Among the series' bombshell revelations that brought to light accounts of child actors being sexually abused was emotional commentary from Drake & Josh Starring Drake Bell, who described being groomed and sexually abused by former children's dialogue coach Brian Peck. Peck was convicted of sexually assaulting a Nickelodeon child actor (Bell) in 2004. In the third episode, Bell recounts in graphic detail the abuse he suffered at the hands of Peck when he was 14 and 15 years old.
Other former Nickelodeon cast members from Schneider's time also claim they were riddled with sexism, racism and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and crew and alleged predatory behavior. The show suggests that Schneider's shows tended to put young women in comedic situations with overt sexual overtones, while portraying him as an angry and emotionally abusive boss, including specific allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination by women who worked as writers under him . All these.
Among the allegations are that he displayed pornography on his computer while they were in the writers' room and often asked female employees for massages with the implication that they might help get the women's sketches on the shows, which he denied.
According to APthe lawsuit claims”Quiet on setSchneider's portrayal is a successful piece of work. While it is undisputed that two bona fide child sex abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is also undisputed that Schneider did not know about their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered, and, critically, was not a sex offender himself. children”. In addition to Discovery — parent company of ID and Max — the suit also names the show's producers, Sony Pictures Television and Maxine Productions. The lawsuit alleges that the show and its trailer unfairly implicated Snyder in child sexual abuse by showing photos of him, some with his arm around young actresses, amid discussions of dangerous environments on his sets.
The series claims that the young actors were forced to wear suggestive costumes and act in inappropriate sketches with clearly pornographic undertones. All these Actor Leon Frierson talks about his superhero character Captain Big Nose, who wore tights and underwear and a prosthetic nose with matching noses on his shoulders.
“You can't help but notice that it looks like a penis and testicles on my shoulders,” he says in the series, adding that one sketch involved Captain Big Nose throwing a giant sneeze caused by his allergy to asteroids, with the punch line consisting of from him shoots messy goop in the face of a young woman. “The joke in this sketch is essentially a joke. It's a joke for kids,” says culture writer Schaachi Koul in the premiere episode of the five-part series. “Looking back, it's very strange. Honestly, it was just awkward,” says Frierson, who also describes that getting close to the “king” Schneider could lead to another level of success for the young actors. “It was important to be on his good side and it made it known who was on his good side,” she says.
Nickelodeon, which was not named in the suit, said in a statement to the show that it could not “confirm or deny” the allegations from two decades ago, but that it investigates all official complaints and has strict protocols for shows starring minors.
Schneider, 58, was not interviewed for the series, but apologized to YouTube after the show aired in which he said he was sorry for “past conduct, some of which is embarrassing and which I regret.” The lawsuit seeks financial damages to be determined at trial for what it described as “the destruction of Schneider's reputation and legacy” through “false statements and innuendo,” as well as the editing and removal of portions of the series and trailers.
“Snyder will be the first to admit that some of what they said is true,” the suit claims, according to The Huffington Post. “At times, he was blind to the pain that some of his behaviors caused certain colleagues, subordinates and cast members. He will regret and atone for this behavior throughout his life. But one thing he is not – and the one thing that will forever damage his reputation and career both past and present – is a child sex abuser.”
In a statement to HuffPo, Schneider said the series “highlighted the mistakes I made and the poor judgment I displayed during my time at Nickelodeon. … There is no doubt that I was a bad leader at times. I sincerely apologize and regret this behavior and will continue to take responsibility for it.”
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatic for survivors of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs support, you can turn to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to victims of sexual assault. Call RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the sexual violence organization Website For more information.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/dan-schneider-lawsuit-quiet-on-set-defamation-sex-abuse-implications-nickelodeon-1235671521/
