Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider reacts to sexual assault claims, says 'I wish I could go back...'

In a recent interview, Dan Schneider, a former Nickelodeon producer, issued an apology for his past on-set behavior, acknowledging it as embarrassing. The apology addresses allegations of sexualizing former child stars and fostering a toxic work environment. Schneider, known for producing beloved children's television shows like The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, and Victorious during the 2000s and 2010s, expressed remorse for his actions.

Amid accusations of bullying and inappropriate behavior towards child stars and crew members on his shows, 60-year-old Schneider has witnessed his television empire crumble in recent years. On Tuesday, he released a nearly 20-minute-long interview addressing various allegations made against him in Investigation Discovery's new four-part docuseries titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

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Schneider Addresses Allegations

He was interviewed by the actor BooG!E, known for his comedic portrayal of the character T-Bo on iCarly, who won the admiration of tween fans. Schneider expressed, “Watching over the past two nights was very difficult — me facing my past behaviours, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”

Many of the grievances against Schneider—raised by both former child stars and former fans of his work—revolve around the portrayal of seemingly sexualized jokes by minors in his TV shows.

Revisiting Contentious Scenes

Some scenes, many resurfacing on social media in recent years, have been labeled as hypersexual or containing subtle fetish content by Schneider's accusers and by adult viewers looking back on his programs. Examples of such scenes include a teenage Ariana Grande portrayed sucking on her own toes in Sam and Cat, as well as footage showing Schneider eating spaghetti in a hot tub with a young Amanda Bynes during the filming of The Amanda Show.

Schneider explained that every aspect of his shows, including writing, wardrobe, makeup, sound, and set choices, had to receive approval from his bosses, who were Nickelodeon executives. However, Schneider acknowledged that some of the jokes in his shows did indeed cross a line.

In the third episode of Quiet on Set, Drake Bell, who starred as a minor in both Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, revealed that he was the juvenile victim in the sexual abuse case involving Brian Peck, a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach. Bell, now 37, disclosed that he was the unnamed teenager in the trial that resulted in Peck's conviction for child molestation in 2004.

Schneider has faced allegations of behaving inappropriately towards several girls and women who worked on his Nickelodeon TV shows. While there have been no accusations of sexual misconduct against Schneider, it has been alleged that he requested body massages from some crew members on his sets, a claim discussed in Quiet on Set.

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