Dan Schneider files lawsuit over portrayal in 'Quiet on Set' documentary series
Dan Schneider and Jamie Lynn Spears (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
LOS ANGELES - Children's television producer Dan Schneider filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against producers of the documentary series "Quiet on Set," claiming that the series falsely implies Schneider sexually abused children who worked on his various shows.
The lawsuit, filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, names Warner Brothers Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television and producers Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, and accuses all of defamation.
The Investigation Discovery series, released in March and streaming on MAX, chronicled the behind-the-scenes world of children's television programming in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"Quiet on Set" included interviews of former child actors, like Drake Bell, Alexa Nikolas, Leon Frierson, Giovonnie Samuels and Raquel Lee Bolleau, and staffers who all worked on set. Each recounted their experience, many alleging a toxic work environment, as well as sexual abuse charges ultimately filed against former Nickelodeon staffer Brian Peck and production assistant Jason Michael Handy.
The lawsuit alleges the docuseries was a "hit job" on Schneider.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Drake Bell claims he experienced sex abuse as Nickelodeon child actor, reports say
- Drake Bell details childhood sexual abuse by Brian Peck
"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."
Following the release of the series, Schneider issued a public apology online for past behavior at Nickelodeon that he conceded may have caused pain to colleagues and cast members.
"He will regret and atone for this behavior for the rest of his life," the lawsuit said. "But one thing he is not – and the one thing that will forever mar his reputation and career both past and present – is a child sexual abuser."
Schneider's work includes shows such as "All That," "The Amanda Show," "Drake & Josh," "Zoey 101," "iCarly" and "Victorious."
The suit was submitted to the court Wednesday but is still being processed. Representatives of those agencies could not be immediately reached for comment.