The Shady Side Of Nickelodeon No One Wants To Talk About
While Nickelodeon churned out hit show after hit show in the '90s and early 2000s, their biggest stars were living some of their worst nightmares. The network responsible for giving millions of Americans some of their favorite television moments is now facing damning accusations of fostering a workplace ridden with sexual abuse, pedophilia, gender discrimination, and racism.
Most of the allegations are centered around show creator Dan Schneider, who was the mastermind behind popular shows like "Zoey 101," "iCarly," and "Drake & Josh." Schneider worked with Nickelodeon for over 20 years until he cut ties with the network in 2018 after internal investigations began to shed light on his shady behavior on set.
After denying claims of misconduct for years, a damning docu-series released in 2024 painted Schneider as the ring-leader behind Nickelodeon's biggest scandals. Shot from the point of view of many of the network's former household names, including Drake Bell and Alexa Nikolas, the four-part series "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" details several lawsuits, arrests, and predatory behavior that ran rampant on Nickelodeon under Schneider's watchful eye.
Nickelodeon show writers, cast members, and directors have now come together to shed light on the years of abuse they say they endured while simply trying to make others laugh. While Schneider has since apologized after the damning documentary dropped, the whistle has already been blown on some of the network's biggest secrets. We're breaking down the shady side of Nickelodeon no one wants to talk about.
Drake Bell was sexually abused while filming Drake & Josh
Drake Bell was a comedic staple on Nickelodeon for years, but there was nothing funny about the abuse he endured while filming "Drake & Josh." The former child actor was the unnamed John Doe in an arrest made in 2003 involving him and his former dialogue coach Brian Peck. At the time, Peck was arrested for committing "Lewd Acts with a Child," and later spent 16 months in prison after being found guilty of molesting Bell for months.
Bell kept quiet about the abuse for decades, choosing not to speak about it publicly until 2024. He opened up about the scandal in the docu-series "Quiet on Set" (per The New York Times), saying, "Brian and I became very close because he had a lot of shared interests," adding, "Which, looking back, seems calculated." The "Drake & Josh" star admitted that his father Joe brought the issue to show producers, but was immediately shut down and called homophobic.
The actor admitted Peck convinced his divorced parents to allow him to sleep over at his house the nights before auditions, allowing the abuse to continue. "I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep, and I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up, and he was, he was sexually assaulting me," Bell shared (per Entertainment Weekly). Nickelodeon released a statement following the scandal, writing, "[W]e are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward."
A Nickelodeon production assistant was later discovered to be a pedophile
Despite its reputation for successful kids' shows — Nickelodeon was no place for children. "Quiet on Set" highlighted yet another scandal involving one of the network's employees, a former production assistant named Jason Handy, who was arrested just months before Brian Peck in 2003. Handy had a history of soliciting and performing sexual acts with young children and even preyed on them on the set of Nickelodeon.
A parent of a former child actor named Brandi came forward in the docu-series, detailing the sexual harassment her daughter endured after guest-starring on "All That." The mother, identified as MJ, admitted that Handy met her daughter while helping to accompany young actors and their parents on set. The former production assistant eventually asked Brandi for her email, only to later send a nude photograph of himself masturbating. Investigators who worked on the case discovered full admissions of Handy's crimes in a personal diary, where he had written, "I am a pedophile, full-blown" (per The New York Times). Handy was later sentenced to six years in prison for his crimes.
The abuse continued years later within the network when yet another Nickelodeon employee was convicted in 2009. Ezel Channel was found guilty of committing lewd acts on a 14-year-old boy at the time, as well as showing the boy pornography while on set. The network was aware that Channel was a registered sex offender, yet hired him anyway.
Dan Schneider's workplace was filled with sexual abuse and harassment
Nothing was as it seems behind the scenes at Nickelodeon. Former staff writers for the network featured on "Quiet on Set" detailed a culture of misogyny and sexual discrimination while working under Dan Schneider, alleging that they received unfair treatment and inappropriate bribes during their time with the show-runner.
Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen claimed they were hired as a pair and forced to split a single writer's salary in contrast to male writers who were entitled to their full salary. Schneider debunked those claims in his apology video, claiming he wasn't responsible for paying writers. He also admitted it was common practice for a network to offer two new writers (men or women), a shared salary in an incentive to get them both on show if they were willing to split their pay.
Other shocking claims include Kilgen alleging that the former producer played pornography in the writer's room and bribed her to give him massages in exchange for airing her sketches. She also recalled one instance when she said Schneider made Stratton pitch a sketch while mimicking a sex act. Kilgen later sued the production company responsible for "The Amanda Show" for gender discrimination, and the parties settled out of court. Schneider has since denied Kilgen's allegations.
Schneider faced sexism allegations on set as well. Former "All That" editor Karyn Finley Thompson accused him of gender discrimination, and sued Schneider after she claimed she was promised a promotion that was given to a male employee with no prior working credits.
Former Nickelodeon stars defended a convicted sex offender
Following Drake Bell's detailed account of sexual abuse at the hands of Brian Peck, all eyes were on fellow Nickelodeon actors. Unfortunately, former stars on the network as well as famous Hollywood actors had previously defended the sex offender, even writing letters to the judge at his sentencing.
Bell recalled the emotional day of Peck's sentencing, in which many of his fellow co-stars sat in support of his abuser. "His entire side of the courtroom was full," Bell admitted in "Quiet on Set" (per The Hollywood Reporter). "There were definitely some recognizable faces on his side of the room."
Those recognizable faces included "Boy Meets World" star Will Friedle, as well as an overwhelming number of child stars, to the point that even Bell's mother addressed the irony. "[T]he victim's mother turned around and said: 'Look at all the famous people you brought with you, and it doesn't change what you did to my kid,'" Friedle said on his "Boy Meets World" podcast (per Independent). Friedle has since apologized for his blind loyalty, saying, "My initial instinct was: Well, he's my friend, it can't be, it has to be the other person's fault ... I look back on it now, and it makes me want to cry that I was ever that naive."
Bell's former "Amanda Show" co-star Taran Killam was among many stars to write a letter in support of Peck at sentencing. Actors James Marsden, Ron Melendez, Alan Thicke, and Rider Strong also voiced their support for the disgraced dialogue coach at the time.
Schneider blatantly abused his power in plain sight
According to several former Nickelodeon employees, Dan Schneider's strange behavior on set was obvious. In "Quiet on Set," costume designers, actors, parents, and others who worked closely with Schneider all claim to have witnessed young women giving him massages at certain points on set. The former showrunner apologized for his behavior via YouTube, saying, "It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position. It was a wrong thing to do; I'd never do it today [and] I'm embarrassed." Several internal investigations were launched into Schneider during his time at the network, but no evidence of inappropriate sexual behavior was reported. He was, however, found to have verbally abused staff members.
YouTubers have also put together compilations of cringeworthy scenes from Schneider's most popular shows like "iCarly," "Victorious," and "Zoey 101." Clips include a much younger version of Ariana Grande squeezing a potato and making grunting noises in what many considered to be sexual exploitation, strange viscous liquid being shot at then-teenager Jamie Lynn Spears' face, and even a 13-year-old Amanda Bynes sharing a hot tub with Schneider.
In addition to his questionable sketch humor, several individuals have speculated that Schneider propagated a foot fetish on the show. Several scenes from Schneider's shows feature young actors being near feet or having to engage with feet, and a 2013 tweet from the "Sam and Cat" Twitter account even asks users to send in feet photos. Despite foot-gate, Schneider said in an interview with The New York Times that "[t]he comedy was totally innocent" (via Complex).
Jenette McCurdy detailed disturbing behavior at Nickelodeon in her tell-all memoir
After getting her start on "iCarly" in the early 2000s, Jennette McCurdy became one of Nickelodeon's staple characters. She went on to co-star alongside Ariana Grande in the short-lived spin-off "Sam and Cat," admitting that she couldn't be happier when it was canceled. Part of her relief came from the knowledge that she would no longer have to endure abuse at the hands of one network employee, who she refers to as "The Creator" in her tell-all memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died" (per Vanity Fair).
"The Creator" is widely thought to be Dan Schneider, who was behind both "iCarly" and "Sam and Cat." McCurdy got candid about what it was like to work with the unnamed individual, saying she was coaxed into drinking alcohol underage at a work dinner and massaged by "The Creator." She recalled her reaction, writing, "I want to say something, to tell him to stop, but I'm so scared of offending him." The "iCarly" star also claimed alcohol was provided to young actors on the set of "All That," a claim backed by Tyisha Hampton, the ex-wife of former Nickelodeon actor Kel Mitchell.
McCurdy also recalled a bikini photoshoot she was forced to participate in while filming "iCarly," one in which she asked to wear one-pieces. When she went to the wardrobe designer with her concerns, she was told (per The Dartmouth) "The Creator explicitly asked for bikinis."
Former Zoey 101 star Alexa Nikolas led a protest against Nickelodeon
Alexa Nikolas has been incredibly vocal about her experience while starring on "Zoey 101" in the early 2000s. The child actor has been seen leading protests and giving interviews about her time with the network, which ended when she decided to leave the show after its second season.
Nikolas marched right to Nickelodeon's studio doors in 2022 to protest against the network, claiming she endured years of toxicity and bullying while filming. "My personal experience working on 'Zoey 101' didn't feel safe," she told TMZ at the time. She also supported accusations made by fellow Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy, saying, "Jennette and all of us deserve an apology."
On an episode of Dear Media's "Real Pod," the "Zoey 101" star claimed that Schneider was an active participant in all of her wardrobe fittings. "Whenever I had wardrobe fittings, [Schneider] always had to be in them," she shared. "Thank God there was a curtain, but he was literally [sitting] on [a] chair right outside of the curtain." She also alleged that Schneider asked to keep the Polaroids of her outfits, which often included her character in short skirts.
As for Schneider's apology, Nikolas isn't buying it. She posted a YouTube video reacting to his video, saying, "You don't feel anything, Dan. You're like every friggin' privileged white male I've honestly ever met on set. You don't even know what accountability is."
Schneider's public apology video had some major flaws
In the world of cancel culture, Dan Schneider is doing his best to save face amid the damning accusations against him. The former Nickelodeon ring leader released a nearly 20-minute long YouTube video explaining himself, in which he was interviewed by former "iCarly" cast member Bobbie Bowman. Not everyone is liking his apology, however, and many are questioning why it has taken him decades to right his wrongs.
As for his sketches and jokes, which many considered not age-appropriate and sexualized, Schneider claimed he would have never aired them had someone voiced their opinion. The show creator also claimed that all the content was approved and filmed in the presence of dozens of adults, saying, "If anyone had said anything ... it would have been cut out."
Many social media users took his reasoning to be flimsy at best, with one viewer writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, "This man is a textbook pedophile that deserves to rot in prison, why [the f**k] do we need to hear 'his side' or a half-a** apology to save face??"
Others claimed Schneider was using "crocodile tears" and found many of his statements to be problematic, including when he assured viewers that: "I hate that anybody who worked for me didn't have a good time." Another chimed in tweeting, "He talking about 'his jokes got approved' as if the whole industry isn't full of predatory people LIKE HIM this doesn't sound like a genuine apology in the least bit."
Former Ned's Declassified stars laugh off Schneider abuse claims
While several Nickelodeon stars have come out against the network in recent times, the same can't be said for some former cast members who have reacted far differently. Former "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" stars Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw, and Daniel Curtis Lee have taken to TikTok to share their thoughts as they rewatch their old episodes, as well as dive into their experience while filming at Nickelodeon.
In a TikTok video originally posted by Werkhesier (via PageSix), the co-stars discussed "Quiet on Set," all while making light of the accusations made in the documentary and cracking jokes that many viewers found to be in bad taste. "Daniel, we told you to never speak about that," Werkhesier says in the clip. "Get back in your hole, Daniel, and give me your holes. Sorry, we shouldn't joke about this. We really shouldn't."
Werkhesier went on to clarify, "Because this is about us. Listen, our set was not like that. And no, it's f***ing awful. The Drake Bell s*** is crazy to hear. That is f***ed man. That never came out, which is really wild, really wild." Bell responded to the controversial video in a tweet, writing, "Ned's Declassless...this is wild...laugh it up guys...laugh it up..."Give me your h*les?!!" Really?!"
The "Ned's Declassified" star backtracked his jokes not long after, publicly apologizing to Bell via X and admitting he spoke without seeing the documentary. "I was being an idiot today. No way around it," he wrote. "I'm sorry for compounding any hurt."
Did Jenette McCurdy block Josh Peck over the Nickelodeon ordeal?
"Drake and Josh" star Josh Peck claims that he may be on the outs with fellow Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy. During an episode of Peck's "Good Guys" podcast starring Tana Mongeau, the actor admitted that he had McCurdy on his show the day she released her memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died." Despite what Peck believed to be a positive interview, McCurdy backtracked and asked him never to air the content.
"We were truly good guys, unbelievable interview, spoke about everything that she wanted to, nothing that she didn't want to," said Peck's co-host Ben Soffer. "It ended, and she told us not to run it." The "Drake and Josh" star said he invited McCurdy back on, adding that she "owes" the co-hosts, only to find that his message went through undelivered. "All I wrote to Jennette after six months was, 'Hi, hi'. I got a green bubble," he shared. "Am I blocked? I think I might be blocked ... or she was on a 12-hour flight. Here's hoping."
The interview didn't sit well with several Twitter users who came out in McCurdy's defense. "Oh Josh, because nothing screams friendship like discussing your friend's traumatic experience on a public platform without their consent," one viewer wrote (per Unilad). "Exactly what does she 'owe' them? Because if it's money or whatever do you not have a manager that manages stuff like that?" asked another.
Josh Peck releases bizarre TikTok video amidst Nickelodeon scandal
Josh Peck remained relatively quiet amidst allegations against his Nickelodeon show creator Dan Schneider that were made public years earlier. After the "Quiet on Set" documentary aired, the "Drake and Josh" star took to Instagram to address the abuse his co-star Drake Bell endured while on set, making his first public statement about the controversy. "I finished the 'Quiet on Set' documentary and took a few days to process it," he wrote. "I reached out to Drake [Bell] privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world."
Some find his comments to be contradictory, however, especially after he posted a questionable TikTok video calling out people from his past. In the clip, Peck lip-syncs to an audio saying, "If I haven't talked to you since 2023, take that as a f***ing sign that you don't exist to me anymore. Damn, you f***ing bug. You got sprayed with the Raid. Bye. See you never." One social media user said her comment on Peck's video garnered up to 5,000 likes before she was allegedly blocked by the actor. "I think I just got blocked by Josh," user Rachael Sykes said in her TikTok video. "I've supported Josh Peck since 'Drake & Josh' and all the years since — all the years since — and I got blocked. So here's your fair warning to not comment anything about 'Quiet on Set' in his comment section," she advised.