Dan Schneider is taking legal action against the producers of “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” a docuseries that shines a light on the challenging working conditions for child actors during Nickelodeon’s heyday. He’s filed a defamation lawsuit, pointing fingers at Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, and Sony Pictures Television, among others, slamming the documentary as a "hit job" that wrongly suggests he sexually abused child actors while working on popular shows like “All That.”
In his lawsuit, Schneider’s lawyers, Jana Moser and Richard McKie, slammed the documentary for damaging his reputation and legacy. They also criticized the trailer for painting an inaccurate picture of Schneider and his behavior on set. Schneider acknowledges that some of the criticism is valid, admitting he was sometimes unaware of the distress his actions caused colleagues and cast members. He expresses deep regret and plans to make amends. However, he vehemently denies being a child sexual abuser, a label he believes will tarnish his career forever.
“Quiet on Set,” which aired in March, featured interviews with former writers, crew members, and actors who described the toxic and hostile environments on Nickelodeon sets in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The series, with over 16 million viewers within two weeks, became a huge hit on the Max app. It also touched on Brian Peck, a former acting coach who served prison time and registered as a sex offender in 2004. The docuseries mentioned Schneider, known for creating hits like “iCarly” and “The Amanda Show,” accusing him of mistreating women and children on set, though he was not directly involved in the series.
Schneider, absent from the original episodes, later released a 20-minute video denying the allegations and apologizing for his past behavior as a leader. He reiterated this apology recently, emphasizing that while he may have been a bad boss at times, he was never involved in any heinous acts. Schneider is committed to setting the record straight, not just for himself, but for his family and the talented people he worked with on his shows.
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