Dan Schneider Faces Bombshell Abuse Accusations From Former Nickelodeon Stars, Claim He Pushed For 'Sexualized' Scenes
Aug. 31 2022, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
A shocking new exposé published claims against TV creator Dan Schneider from former Nickelodeon stars alleging he pushed for sexually suggestive content and more, RadarOnline.com has discovered.
The detailed report came after Sam & Cat actress Jeannette McCurdy, who co-starred in the iCarly spinoff series, came forward with her own surprising revelations.
In her new memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she wrote about a Nickelodeon creator — speculated to be Schneider — allegedly pressuring her to drink while underage and giving her massages on set.
McCurdy was allegedly offered a whopping $300,000 in "hush money" to keep quiet, which she didn't take up.
In the piece by Insider, Zoey 101 actress Alexa Nikolas recalled Schneider telling Jamie Lynn Spears to film a scene where she got goo repeatedly squirted on her face until one take had him laughing as a male castmate quipped about it looking like a "c-- shot."
The scene aired in 2015. "We're talking about a minor," Nikolas continued. "I think Jamie was 13, and they're squirting stuff on her face to make it look a certain way."
Victorious star Daniella Monet, who just turned 18 after landing the gig, also said that she was often forced to wear clothes on screen that were "not age appropriate."
"I wouldn't even wear some of that today as an adult," she added.
Monet went on to discuss a scene during which she ate a pickle while applying lipgloss, revealing she later contacted the network because it made her uncomfortable.
"The scene aired anyway," she said. "Do I wish certain things, like, didn’t have to be so sexualized? Yeah. A hundred percent."
She noted the environment was usually "very PC, funny, silly, friendly, chill," adding that most of the writers were men.
Schneider left Nickelodeon in 2018 following an investigation by parent company ViacomCBS.
He also denied any wrongdoing in a June 2021 New York Times piece. Dozens of employees reportedly found no evidence of sexual misconduct by Schneider, but many "viewed him as verbally abusive."
"Dan Schneider is one of the most prolific producers of hit television in the kids and family entertainment business. Dan's shows transcend children's television and are staples on many streaming platforms today, and are enjoyed by both by kids and their parents," Russell Hicks, Former President of Content and Production at Nickelodeon, told RadarOnline.com in a statement on Wednesday.
"Dan cared about the kids on his shows even when sometimes their own families unfortunately did not. He was the shoulder they cried on when something happened to them. He understood what they were going through. Dan was like the great high school counselor you could always turn to for help and guidance. And he was their biggest champion," Hicks added.
"What people seem to be forgetting is the fact that the network has a talent management department that is keeping tabs on everything that is happening and going to every event these kids go to," Hicks continued.
"Television is a business and like any other business there are HR people and accountants and workplace rules that have to be followed. Nickelodeon’s reputation as the best in kids’ television required that nothing went on without the company knowing. There is a standards and practices group that reads every script and programming executives looking at every episode. Add to that everyday on every set, were the parents and caregivers and their friends watching every single frame of footage and listening to every joke. They had a billion dollar brand to protect. Every single thing that Dan ever did on any of his shows was carefully scrutinized and approved by executives at Nickelodeon."
RadarOnline.com also reached out to Nickelodeon for comment.