Former Nickelodeon Stars Who Broke Their Silence On The Network's Toxic Environment

Drake Bell's shocking interview during "Quiet on Set" highlighted some of the actor's darkest moments, detailing the time a Nickelodeon acting coach sexually abused him. During the docuseries, Bell spoke publicly about it for the first time, revealing that he and his former coach, Brian Peck, formed a close relationship that Peck ultimately exploited. 

When the then-15-year-old Bell was filming "Drake & Josh," Bell often slept over at Peck's apartment before auditions. The move was a calculated effort by Peck, who convinced Bell's parents to allow the actor to spend lots of time with him outside of filming. "I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep," Bell recalled in the docuseries (via Variety). "I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I had no idea how to get out of this situation." Peck was eventually arrested in 2003 on 11 charges of child sexual abuse and sent to prison for 16 months. At the time, Bell was the unnamed John Doe in the case. 

The decision to tell his story came after intense therapy and trauma healing, and the "Drake & Josh" star admitted he checked himself into rehab after preliminary interviews were conducted for the "Quiet on Set" documentary.

Former "Zoey 101" star Alexa Nikolas, who played Nicole, may have been responsible for many laughs on that show, but it seems her time at Nickelodeon was anything but funny. Nikolas has been protesting against the network since before "Quiet on Set" premiered, alleging the network doesn't protect its actors and that she didn't "feel safe" while working on "Zoey 101."

On Dear Media's "Real Pod" podcast, Nikolas revealed that Dan Schneider was present for all of her wardrobe fittings. "Thank God there was a curtain, but he was literally [sitting] on [a] chair right outside of the curtain," she said, adding that he kept Polaroids of Nikolas in different outfits. In a 2022 TMZ interview, she called out the network again, saying, "I didn't feel like Nickelodeon was protecting me or had my best interests in mind." She went on to say that she talked to several other former Nickelodeon stars with similar stories. Though she said she felt the network could redeem itself, she also seemed to think this would be unlikely. "[T]hey haven't even given a comment," she noted.

Two years later, the network changed its tune ahead of the release of "Quiet on Set." "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct," Nickelodeon told Vulture.

Jennette McCurdy was a staple on Nickelodeon for years, playing Sam Puckett on "iCarly" from 2007 to 2012 and also starring on "Sam & Cat" alongside Ariana Grande. Decades after her career was launched on the network, she detailed her time at Nickelodeon in her tell-all memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died."

While she didn't mention Dan Schneider by name, McCurdy recalled numerous dark times while working alongside "The Creator," who many believe to be Schneider given he created both "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat." In the book, the actor recalls being coerced into drinking alcohol underage and getting massages from "The Creator" during her time working at Nickelodeon. Further, while McCurdy said she was overworked and had little creative freedom, Grande was allowed to skip out on filming to perform at award shows to further her singing career. In exchange for her silence, McCurdy said she was offered $300,000 to keep quiet about the shady ongoings at the network, which she refused.

In an excerpt from her memoir (via Vanity Fair), the author remembered "The Creator" telling her, "The 'Victorious' kids get drunk together all the time. The 'iCarly' kids are so wholesome. We need to give you guys a little edge." While she was uncomfortable with his advances, she felt "so scared of offending him." In an interview with The Washington Post, she summed up her time at Nickelodeon as "so painful and real and raw and hurting."

Chris Massey has stayed relatively quiet in the wake of the "Quiet on Set" documentary, but the same can't be said for his family. The "Zoey 101" star's mother, Angel Massey, took to Instagram to defend Dan Schneider from the numerous accusations against him, admitting that her experience with the showrunner was far less harrowing.

"I can't thank this guy enough for the opportunity he gave my son @chrismasseytmb and my family," she wrote on her Instagram Story (via Complex). "BLAME THE PARENTS. NOT DAN," she added, describing Schneider as a genius alongside a photo of him onstage next to her son. She also went on to question some of the language used by former Nickelodeon employees and actors, writing in one post, "@chrismasseytmb and my family had an exemplary experience with Dan Schneider. Define 'toxic work environment.'"

When responding to a fan in the comments section, Angel added, "Also know that the actual STARS / top BILLING actors have not said one negative thing about him. ... This man WAS NICKELODEON." This, of course, sparked a large response from fans wanting to hear from Chris as to whether he backed his mother's claims. In response, Chris posted to his Instagram Story that his personal story was in the works. "My story will be told from me ..... not from a parent, a friend, a co worker ..... ME!!! and only ME ... so please stop messaging me about what my mom said .... respectfully," he wrote.

Former "Zoey 101" star Matthew Underwood is one of the few actors who has spoken out about having a positive experience at Nickelodeon following the premiere of "Quiet on Set," releasing a statement via Instagram a few weeks after the docuseries dropped.

"I never had a bad experience working on set of a Nickelodeon show and I never had a bad experience with Dan," he shared in his post. While he revealed he doesn't have any relevant comments on the accusations against Dan Schneider, he admitted, "I like to believe people have the capacity to be better humans and Dan appears to recognize that he has been an a**hole in his past."

Despite not having experienced any toxicity on the set of "Zoey 101," Underwood did reveal that he was sexually abused while working as an actor, causing him to quit the industry completely. "I'm going to share something with you that I never thought I'd have to talk about publicly, as it's honestly none of your business anyway," he stated. Underwood revealed that he was "groomed and molested" by his best friend's stepfather when he was 12 years old, admitting he lost his best friend over the ordeal due to the trauma. The "Zoey 101" star also revealed that he was sexually harassed and assaulted by his agent when he was 19 years old, and while the agent was later fired, he continues to work in the industry.

Dan Schneider had quite a lot of explaining to do after several accusations detailed in "Quiet on Set" painted him as Nickelodeon's toxic ringleader. Schneider was previously at the center of multiple investigations into inappropriate behavior, and he was ultimately let go in 2018 after evidence found he was abusive in the workplace. More public allegations have emerged, however, giving a detailed look at his shady behavior that lasted over two decades.

In the documentary, former staff writers Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen say they were subjected to sexual harassment on set and were forced to share a single salary. Kilgen claimed that pornography was constantly playing in the writers' room and that Schneider would make her give him massages in exchange for him to air her sketches. Several costume designers, parents, actors, and others involved at Nickelodeon recalled seeing young women massaging Schneider on set on several different occasions. 

Schneider addressed many of these allegations in his apology video. He spoke about the various massages, saying, "It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position. It was a wrong thing to do." He continued, "I'm embarrassed that I did it then. I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation." Schneider also revealed that he "said things that went too far" in the writers' room, blaming it on his inexperience as a producer at the time.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).