Achi news desk-
Dan Schneider sued the producers of the series Quiet on the set: the dark side of children’s television for defamation of what he called a “hit job” falsely implying that he sexually abused child stars of the Nickelodeon shows he created.
The series, developed by Investigation Discovery, aired in March and exposed alleged abuse and misconduct by several older employees at Nickelodeon in the 1990s and early 2000s. Schneider was accused of bullying and inappropriate interactions with the child stars and staff members who worked on his shows.
Quiet in the set We also discussed the crimes of three convicted child sex offenders, including former coach Brian Peck, who served a 16-month prison sentence for sexually abusing child star Drake Bell. Former production assistant Jason Michael Handy, who was charged with lewdness with a child under the age of 14, and former animator Ezel Arutz, who received a seven-year prison sentence for lewdness with a minor.
In the lawsuit obtained by Variety, which was filed May 1 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Schneider, 58, said the record falsely suggests he is also a child predator.
Schneider said he was unaware of any sexual abuse that occurred at Nickelodeon and “condemned the abuse as soon as it came to light and, critically, would not have sexually abused the child himself.”
“But for the sake of clickbait, ratings and views — or, in other words, money — the defendants destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is just that,” the lawsuit continues.
Schneider sued Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television for defamation. The production companies have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
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Schneider is seeking unspecified damages. He also requested that any defamatory statements or visual material be removed from the tapes, or that the documents be removed in their entirety.
The lawsuit points to a producer’s revelation in the docu-series that Schneider was never found to have engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior. Schneider and his lawyers say this is proof that the producers were aware of their narrative and the visuals promote false accusations and unfairly compare him to convicted sex offenders.
“At times he was blind to the pain that some of his behaviors caused certain colleagues, subordinates and team members. He will regret and atone for this behavior for the rest of his life,” the lawsuit states. “But one thing he is not – and the only thing that will forever damage his reputation and career in the past and present – is he sexually abuses children.”
In a statement to Variety, Schneider said he had “no choice” but to take legal action against the producers of Quiet in the set.
“Recently, the Docus films Quiet in the set highlight mistakes I made and poor judgment I displayed during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which occurred decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions,” the statement read. “There is no doubt that I was a poor leader at times. I truly apologize and regret this behavior, and I will continue to take responsibility for it.”
“However, after seeing Quiet in the set And his trailer, and the reactions to it, unfortunately I have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it,” continued Schneider. “In their successful attempt to mislead the viewers and increase the ratings, they deviated from the truthful reports and falsely implied that I was involved or assisted in the terrible crimes for which they were prosecuted and convicted predators of children”.
“I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failings as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people into the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts such as those committed by child predators. I owe it to myself, my family and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to straighten out The record,” he concluded.
Quiet on the set: the dark side of children’s television Available to stream on Max in the US, where it’s the platform’s biggest streaming title ever. (You can watch it in Canada on Discovery+ or Prime Video.)
Much of the production details the rise and fall of Schneider, who created some of Nickelodeon’s most popular children’s television shows, including The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly and conductor.
March, after Quiet in the set aired for the first time, Schneider addressed the allegations against him and apologized for what he called his “awkward” behavior on set.
Schneider said he felt “terrible and sorry and sorry” for how he treated people who worked for him early in his career. However, he denied ever sexualizing the child stars in scenes of his Nickelodeon shows, and claimed that everything he wrote had to be approved by studio executives.
He left Nickelodeon in 2018 following an investigation that found he had verbally abused several staff members.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Crime Victim Resource Center for help. They are also accessible toll free at 1-877-232-2610.
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