The docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV covered a number of allegations centered around former Nickelodeon employee Dan Schneider and his time at the network. Now, in response to the docuseries, Dan Schneider has sued the producers of Quiet on Set.
As noted by Variety, this docuseries quickly became Max’s biggest streaming title ever. Now Schneider feels the need to sue for defamation. The outlet covers a fragment of the lawsuit as filed by Schneider’s attorneys, Jana Moser and Richard McKie.
Here’s what they shared:
“‘Quiet on Set’s’ portrayal of Schneider is a hit job. 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. 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.”
Dan Schneider’s time at Nickelodeon included his work as a producer on numerous popular shows for the network. A few of the titles he helped create include The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and several others. A number of former employees from these projects, who worked both behind and in front of the camera, came forward for the docuseries.
Those who came forward accused Schneider of not just creating a hostile work environment, but of sexualizing former child actors on television. Many viewers have theorized as much over the years, with several former Nickelodeon stars having cited such difficulties in the past.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Quiet on Set was such a huge success for Max. After the docuseries premiered, Schneider shared the following apology in a video:
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult. Facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
As for the lawsuit, they claim that the voiceovers featured in Quiet on Set and its marketing “are 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.”
Schneider also wrote the following statement directly to Variety:
“Recently the docuseries ‘Quiet on Set’ highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which happened decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions. There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it. However, after seeing ‘Quiet on Set’ and its trailer, and the reactions to them, I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it. In their successful attempt to mislead viewers and increase ratings, they went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted.”
He continued:
“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. I owe it to myself, my family, and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to set the record straight.”
As such, we’ll have to see how this situation develops. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional information regarding Dan Schneider and the newly-announced lawsuit as we have them.