20 March 2024 , 14:25
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Dan Schneider has finally broken his silence on allegations about his toxic behaviour on the set of several Nickelodeon shows he created.
The 58-year-old producer created shows such as iCarly, Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, and catapulted child stars including Amanda Bynes, Miranda Cosgrove and Drake Bell into the spotlight. However, his alleged inappropriate behaviour has been highlighted in the explosive four-part docu-series Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which focused on what went on behind-the-scenes on some of the most famous kids’ TV shows of the mid-2000s.
During an interview with BooG!E, which was held after he watched the Discovery docu-series, Dan admitted he had “regrets” over his actions, and apologised to those he had hurt. “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.”
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Dan created huge kids TV shows on Nickelodeon (Getty Images)He was accused of creating toxic workplace conditions, and allegedly humiliated the young cast of the TV shows he created, and candidly confessed to being “an a**hole” to those who worked on the Nickelodeon shows he produced. After watching the docu-series, he said: “When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes, and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry. I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and the experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was OK to be an asshole to anyone, ever.”
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Dan had initially stayed quiet on the allegations made in the episodes, but he finally spoke out about the heartbreaking sexual abuse allegations against former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a child actor in 2004, and in the third episode of Quiet On Set, Drake Bell named himself as the previously unnamed victim in the sexual assault case.
He spoke about his behaviour in a video interview after watching Quiet On Set (DanWarp/Youtube)Dan claimed he did not hire dialogue coach Brian, and revealed he was heartbroken when Drake, then 15, told him he had been sexually assaulted. “When Drake and I talked and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you,'” he said. Dan also revealed Drake was devastated when Hollywood celebrities, including James Marsden, wrote letters of support for Brian in an effort to persuade the judge to be lenient. “That was probably the darkest part of my career,” he sadly added.