Max’s documentary series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV” has caused a stir in the entertainment world by revealing the disturbing accounts of sexual abuse and mistreatment experienced by numerous Nickelodeon actors from the 1990s and 2000s, especially on productions overseen by ex-Nickelodeon executive Dan Schneider.
Although Nickelodeon ended their relationship with Schneider in 2019 due to misconduct allegations, “Quiet on Set” has continued to damage his reputation. As a reaction, Schneider filed a defamation lawsuit against the producers of the show, Investigation Discovery.
In his legal case, Schneider alleges that Investigation Discovery wrongly suggested that he sexually mistreated minors who appeared on his television programs such as “Drake and Josh,” “iCarly,” and “The Amanda Show.” He argues that the depiction of him in “Quiet on Set” is an intentional effort to damage his reputation, with the goal of increasing viewership and making money.
Schneider admits errors and lapses in decision-making while at Nickelodeon but strongly denies any participation in child sexual abuse. He claims that the creators of the series edited and manipulated photos to compare him to Brian Peck, a convicted abuser who assaulted Drake Bell when he was 15 years old.
The lawsuit is asking for unspecified damages and requesting that the defamatory content in the show be removed or the show be cancelled entirely. Schneider’s lawyers claim that the producers acted with “actual malice and deliberate indifference to the truth,” which Schneider must prove to win the lawsuit.
As the legal dispute continues, the industry is anticipating additional progress, such as a scheduled court appearance to handle the accusations and assertions made by both sides.
