Ex-Nickelodeon Producer Sues Over 'Destroyed Reputation'

Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider says there's no question that he was a "bad leader" at times—but he's not a child sexual abuser. Schneider is suing the creators of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, claiming that he was falsely portrayed as a child sexual abuser in the "hit job" series, Variety reports.

• "While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself," the lawsuit states. "But for the sake of clickbait, ratings, and views—or put differently, money—Defendants have destroyed Schneider's reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that."

• Quiet on Set doesn't name Schneider as a sexual abuser, NBC News reports, but the lawsuit states that voiceovers and graphics were "purposefully and intentionally defamatory in that they falsely and repeatedly state or imply that Schneider is a child sexual abuser and committed crimes in this regard—and have been interpreted as such by countless average, ordinary or reasonable viewers." The lawsuit notes that in one episode, the series repeatedly cuts to images of Schneider while discussing convicted abusers Brian Peck and Jason Handy.
• The four-part series aired on Max last month and became its biggest streaming title ever, reports Variety. It looked at toxic work conditions and sexual abuse at shows created by Schneider, including Drake & Josh, All That, and The Amanda Show.
• At one point in the series, producers note that an investigation from Nickelodeon parent ViacomCBS found that Schneider, who parted ways with the network in 2018, had not engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, per the Hollywood Reporter.
• After the first episodes aired, Schneider said he regretted his past conduct and felt he owed some people "a pretty strong apology." In a statement Wednesday, he said, "I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators."

(More Nickelodeon stories.)